They reached the tower quite late that evening and found Mynix fast asleep in a chair waiting for them. Grenwyn looked from Mynix to Feryl and said, “Bah, best to let her sleep, I’ll be the one telling her tomorrow that she helped to put your mother to rest.” Feryl’s eyes teared up again, and she felt a anger grow in her as she looked at Mynix, but she nodded solemnly and they turned to look for Taylia.
Taylia was sitting up in the kitchen, holding hands with another old woman and chatting quietly about the day. Taylia beamed when they walked in, “I would like to introduce you to someone very special to me,” she said, “This is Mathilde, and I love her.” Mathilde blushed, and Laith could see why Taylia was so taken with her. “A pleasure to meet you as well,” Laith said, and sketched a courtly little bow. Mathilde smiled, laughed with a sound somewhere between the springing of a brook and the tinkle of elven bells.
“Allow me to introduce to you, Miss Feryl Flamecloud, and Mr. Grenwyn Shalesplitter,” They all made introductions, and Taylia bade them to sit down. Mathilde rose to get them some food and drink. “This is the life,” Taylia said, nudging Grenwyn with her elbow. “I work on my magic all day, and I have me a beautiful wife with a sweet temperament and a talent in the kitchen,” Taylia looked into the next room to see Mathilde busily scurrying about, and it was easy to see the love and admiration in her eyes. Grenwyn let out a hearty chuckle and said to Taylia, “Yer a woman after me own heart.” they both laughed heartily, and with that, they ate and drank their fill, which was a lot since they had been eating off the land for so long.
Mathilde had eagerly put out a spread of spiced wine, and sweet wonderful bread she had baked herself, she had smoked ham, and wild mushrooms, and a variety of salt cured fish Feryl had never tasted before. It was the first night in a long time that they were able to relax and enjoy each others company. When they were done, Mathilde showed them each to their own room, where they found a bed with clean soft bedding, a change of clothes, and a wash basin filled with warm water and lavender. Each room had its own theme with fabrics from a different part of the world that Taylia had collected on her travels. Mynix seemed to wake as Grenwyn walked by, so he bade the others go ahead, and he sat down to tell her about Feryl’s mother.
Feryl collapsed onto her bed without even doffing her armor, and when Laith peeked in on her, he smiled at the soft sounds of snoring that came from her, he watched her sleep for a few moments, and then returned to his own room. Elves needed less rest than humans as well, and did not actually sleep except in circumstances of extreme exhaustion or sickness. They instead entered a state called Reverie, which was similar to a lucid sort of dreaming. Laith removed his clothing, and washed himself with the sweet scented water that had been left for him in the basin, and settled against the wall with his eyes open as he began to sink into his past memories.
His mind sank back to a particular time for him, he was very hungry and desperate as he wandered through the forest, not long after leaving his village for the last time. He was chasing a rabbit, the first game he had seen for days when he stumbled into a glen with a small pool at its center, his eyes were drawn to a very much unclothed human woman who stood near its bank. She smiled at him, and his ear tips flushed at the unabashed way she walked towards him, completely unembarrassed by her nudity. “Greetings Elfie,” she said in a voice better suited for a tavern. “I’ve never met one of your kind before, and if you’d have a care to stop staring at my chest, you can sit by my fire, have a chat, and share some of my food.” Laith couldn’t manage a coherent reply, so she led him by the hand, and sat him down.
Taylia had come to the forest in search of rare ingredients for spells she was devising. She loved to use items from the natural world in the crafting of spells, and loved better the solitude that life in the mountains offered her. He taught her much about wood lore, and the way the elves used herbs and plants for potions and healing. She taught him about humans, and city life, and women. They forged a deep friendship, and camped together whenever Taylia was on her expeditions. As Taylia advanced in her studies, her visits came less and less, and Laith was stricken with loneliness once again. When more than a year had passed since he had seen or heard from her, he decided to move on to the lower regions of the forest and into the human cities beyond. He searched for Taylia in the city she had most often mentioned but had had no luck in finding her, so he decided she had moved on, and he must do the same. His memories shifted again, and his Reverie was deep now, and he would not remember when he woke the places he traveled while lost in its embrace.
Mynix accepted the story Grenwyn had told her, and now she felt empty inside. It scared her how numb she had felt. She could not get back to sleep, was excited by the spell she had learned from Taylia, so she crept out of the house for a bit of practice. The woods were not asleep that night either. All around her she could hear the chatter of life, the soft rustling of the leaves, the chatter of small animals, and the calls of larger ones. Mynix realized she could see quite well, and looked up into the sky to note the moon was full and bright as were the stars trailing it. The moon was so bright in fact that Mynix cast a shadow on the ground, and when she looked at it, she got the eerie feeling it was leering at her. She shoved hers fears aside though, as she was getting accustomed to doing, and set about remembering the words and practicing the passes with her fingers of the spell Taylia had taught her. “I’m ready,” she thought, and she skulked a bit out into the forest to seek her prey.
Laith arose from reverie with a start, he felt like maybe he had been thinking about his village again, and his mind still held the vision of Tirnaur’s dead eyes staring at him accusingly. He heard a howl in the distance, and realized that must have been what had awakened him. He could never stand to hear the sound of a wolf’s cry, and hearing it then made his skin tingle and his hair stand on end. He felt a little better knowing that he and his friends were safe inside of Taylia and Mathilde’s Tower. Even the experienced werewolves’ native to this forest would not dare pit themselves against her powers. He was just about to relax, feeling secure that his friends were safe, at least for this night, when he heard a rustling in the woods outside of his window. Cautiously he crept on his hands and knees to peer out, hoping he would not be seen. He was just in time to see the backside of Mynix vanish into the trees.
The howling made Mynix a little nervous, but she doubted wolves would venture this close to the homes of humans. However, she did not know the nature of the wolves that roamed this territory. This pack of wolves were shape changers, evil followers of a beastly god, they prowled on the night of the full moon, looking for the most dangerous of prey.
Adan-Draug was one of the oldest members of the pack. He remembered well the taste of elf-flesh and had been part of the raid of Laith’s village when he was only a cub. He bore a scar instead of a right eye where an elven blade had pierced him. He had backed away in time to keep the blade from reaching his brain, but held the ugly scar, and uglier grudge ever since. He was a huge, even for his kind, but held a bit of the gauntness that comes with age. His fur was mottled brown and black, and his one eye was yellow, and it simmered with hate. It was rare to find good prey in the forest these days, many of the elves had been driven out, and few humans dared venture in, especially when a full moon was expected. He was therefore somewhat surprised when he first smelled the sweet scent of a young human. His mouth began to water, and he crept cautiously toward the scent, he was still more than strong enough to take down a human, but he was not the fastest wolf anymore so care was needed so as not to frighten the prey away.
Mynix was searching for a squirrel, or a chipmunk, or even a snake. Taylia had taught her a spell of holding, and she knew that at her level she would be lucky to hold something as small as those. She heard a soft sound coming through the brushes in front of her, and she brought her spell to mind, so she would be ready when the animal appeared. “I hope its not a skunk,” she thought to herself, realizing that this may not have been the best of her ideas.
Laith began to fight down panic. He knew he could not leave Mynix to fend for herself, and he also knew he likely did not have time to wake his friends before the wolves could make their way to her. Laith stood there frozen, knowing his indecision could be costing his friend her life, but could not move. “This time we’ll put them on the defensive,” said a voice from across the room, and Laith reached for the blade he did not have sheathed at his side. Taylia chuckled, and said “C’mon we haven’t got all night, throw your pants on and let’s get moving. I told Mathilde to wake the others and get them ready in case we need the help. I can let her know magically. Laith marveled at the woman’s courage, and despite her years, the vigor in her eyes, and light in her laughter still stirred his heart. “Gods but tis good to see you again” he said as they raced out the door.
Mynix was starting to feel a bit of concern, the animal in the bushes seemed a bit larger than she had intended, but she thought it would be a good way to test her limits anyway. She saw a bit of brownish black fur between the leaves and began the words and passes to her newest spell. Just as she was about to spit out the last phrase, a massive wolf with one eye jumped out of the bushes at her. To Mynix’s credit, she did manage to spit out the last word of the spell without faltering, and to her surprise, the beast, was frozen in mid crouch. Mynix could see the rage in the creature’s eye, and could see it straining against the magical bonds she had placed on it. Being a very troublesome girl, Mynix could not keep herself from bending down and kissing the frozen beast on the nose. The wolf elicited a feral growl, and seemed to fight against the bonds all the stronger. Mynix began to panic now, she had no idea how long the spell would hold and no idea how she could stop the creature once it did.
Laith and Taylia could just make out Mynix’s trail, and followed it till they could hear her shout her spell and the feral growls of the beast she was with. They raced ahead and reached Mynix just in time to see her backing away cautiously. Taylia ran to her side, and Laith raced up to the wolf, sword raised to strike a killing blow. Just as he was about to strike, the wolf fought loose of its spellbindings. It lunged at him, and Laith barely escaped a bite that could have infected him with lycanthropy. Adan-Draug heard the other woman begin to chant and recognized her from the many run ins the werewolves had had with her and he turned to run. Laith’s eyes filled with rage and he jumped after the wolf, it easily stepped aside of the huge swipe, and continued to retreat. Laith let out an inarticulate cry of rage and pain, and sank to his knees as the wolf he knew he could not now catch up to ran away with his chance for redemption.
Laith just sat there for awhile and he was only distantly aware of the scolding Mynix was receiving for bandying about her powers, and putting herself in danger, and so on. A steady hand laid upon his shoulder, and he looked up into Taylia’s eyes and saw not pity, but compassion. The lines were deep in her sun browned skin, and her once dark hair was now traced with lines of silver. Her eyes though, they were exactly the same, deep blue and smiling with love and mischief. He remembered the love he had held for her, and felt a bit foolish and awkward for being so angry that she had abandoned him. She knew how hard it would become, when she grew old, and he was still in the height of manhood. She knew and she chose not to abandon him, but to let him go, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Feryl would one day do the same.
The next morning everyone met at the table for breakfast. Taylia smacked Mathilde on the rump as she scurried about the table piling it with the delicious foods she had prepared. Blackberry cakes, and fresh fruits, and bacon from a wild boar they had caught ravaging their garden. There was everything they could want, and as much as they could want, and everyone was quite content. Although each of them had troubles, and cares, and emotional scars, the morning sunlight, camaraderie, and food seemed to wash everything away, at least for a short while.
Shortly after breakfast, Mynix found Feryl walking in the garden, and she knew she had to speak with her. “Feryl?” Mynix began timidly, “How could you do it,” Feryl spoke, choking back tears ”How could you murder her, she looked so sweet, so fragile, how could you take her away from me?” she asked. Mynix went pale, and did not know what to say. “I know, it isn’t your fault,” Feryl said, “It just felt good to, to have someone to blame for once. All of these things keep happening to me, that are out of my control, and I don’t even know who is doing them. It isn’t fair, it isn’t fair.” Mynix approached Feryl cautiously, she placed her hand on Feryl shoulder, and when she did not flinch away, Mynix said “I am so sorry Feryl, you must believe me, but I did the right thing, your Mother…she spoke to me.” Feryl turned to look at her, “When she…when she became herself again, a mist came out of her mouth, and it took her shape, but it was not corporeal, and she said Thank you, and she turned into motes of light and drifted away. She looked at peace Feryl, and I.. I understand if you hate me, but, I just wanted you to know.” Feryl nodded, and Mynix slowly walked away.
They stayed for 2 weeks with Taylia and Mathilde. Taylia spent most of her time teaching Mynix what spells she knew and Mynix could learn. Grenwyn had a wonderful time eating the food Mathilde prepared, and just sitting about and chatting, with her and with Taylia. Feryl and Laith had time to enjoy their new relationship. They practiced swordwork together during the day, and would often take long walks into the woods near the house. In the evening after the others went to bed, they would move to Taylia’s private garden to be alone.
The garden was a beautiful place, made for private moments. It was surrounded by tall hedges on all sides and filled with colorful and fragrant flowers. A bench for two was situated near the back in front of a small pond which was filled with a type of fish Feryl had never seen before. They were about a foot long and brightly colored in pinks and blues, with long elegant fins and tails. There was also a small cabinet with 2 wine glasses and a stock of wonderful vintages of wine and a few blankets for when the night air chilled. It was more than any couple could ask for, and Laith and Feryl enjoyed every moment of it, for each of them knew how fleeting life can be.
Early the morning of their departure, Taylia awoke to find Laith wandering about her gardens alone. “You knew why I left you don’t you?” she asked him quietly. “Taylia, I did not understand until now, and I am sorry. I thought you had abandoned me, because of my past. You were my first human companion, and… I did not fully understand the difficulties. I am sorry it has been so long, if I survive my current journey, I vow I will not let it be so long again.” Taylia laughed a bit bitterly, “It was not only the elf thing… on my ventures into town, I began to meet people, and I began to feel things differently than I had before. I realized that for me, love was not bound by race, and not bound by gender either. I should have told you, but I did not know how you would react. So the fault is with me as well dear one. Know that I did truly love you though, and if I lived a million lifetimes, I would always choose to be with you for a short sweet while.” Taylia leaned into him, and Laith wrapped his arms around her. “What a funny couple we would make now,” Taylia said, and they stood there together until the sun rose fully, and they could smell the scent of bacon and eggs frying in the pan, then as true friends, they walked into the house together.
Feryl had been up early as well, and went into the kitchen to see if she could help Mathilde in any way. Mathilde put her to work chopping vegetables and cleaning berries, and they talked as they worked. Mathilde and Feryl stared out the window and saw Laith and Taylia coming up the walk arm in arm, “I could almost feel jealous,” Mathilde said half jokingly, “What is it they talk about do you think?” Feryl asked, not admitting it, but feeling a bit of that jealousy herself. “Old times I would imagine, did you not know Taylia and Laith were once great friends, and possibly lovers?” The look on Feryl’s face told Mathilde all she needed to know. “Worry not child,” Mathilde told her, ”When you find true love, like I have with Taylia, you don’t need to worry, you may feel jealousy for things past, but you know that you don’t need to worry because in the present and the future their heart belongs to you alone.” Mathilde smiled, “I have seen the way Laith looks at you, for as long as you want him, his heart is yours. He may have had lovers before you, and he may have lovers after you, but he will fully give you all his love for as long as you live, and that my dear, is the greatest treasure you’ll find.” Feryl sat there with her mouth open, and Mathilde gently tapped it closed and gave her a wink as she went back about her work. It wasn’t until she heard Mynix and Grenwyn bumbling down the stairs that Feryl managed to find her focus.
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