Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Sleeping on a hard floor in a hall full of people who all proved the ability to snore rather loudly did not afford Alvara the best attitude for meeting with the chief the next morning.
A breakfast of plain porridge did nothing to bolster her spirits, even if it was the best that could be done with the current circumstances, and the constant cheery conversation between Kat and Lilja this early in the day was almost more than she could handle.
Aurilena was already gone, busy helping the last of the Eskenti migrate to Gosibik.
Boden seemed just about as chipper as Alvara, his hair a sleep-addled mess atop his head. A deep frown creased his face, and he laid his head in his hands and groaned. “I have every confidence that you are more than capable of meeting with the chief on your own while I go back to sleep.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“If I didn’t believe you would freeze me to the floorboards in my sleep, I most definitely would.”
She blew a handful of snow in his face, and he wiped it away with a grimace.
“You do still owe me a walk through the town,” Alvara said as she tugged on the hem of the itchy woolen dress she had been given.
It was better than her half-burnt clothes, but she would have to find a way to afford something in the market, or the scratchy material would drive her insane.
Boden started to laugh, but it morphed into a yawn. “If I’m able to survive this meeting without falling asleep, I promise to take you.”
That soon declared itself to be a taller order than Alvara had expected.
They spoke of the king’s impending invasion, though when it would occur, no one knew.
But after moving on to organizing training for the demi-elves, the topics quickly spiraled into food sources, building more permanent shelters for the refugees, and other more practical and immediate matters.
The chief would do his best to ensure his people took elvish money, though it would likely be a never-ending battle.
The elves could offer some crop and food production advancements that would help with the strain on the town, but it would take time.
Those with archery skills, along with the shifters, would help hunt what few animals had begun to venture out of hibernation, and the humans’ fishing efforts would increase.
It all meant Alvara was going to be eating more porridge than she would have liked. She couldn’t remember the last time she ate something sweeter than a piece of fruit.
They all knew they needed to strategize defenses, but it was difficult to do so when there were so many more pressing issues that threatened their very survival.
“We’ll assign as many of our people as we are able to the tasks they have experience in,” Boden said, whom Alvara had nudged more than a few times throughout the meeting to keep awake.
“Rav, I would appreciate you and your father working with what leadership remains to form a more cohesive council for representation. Aurilena will communicate with the Eskenti to ensure their cooperation and a seat on the council. Kat will fly on regular scouting missions to ensure our safety, at least for now. Lilja and the few Elan elves we have will work with the farmers on growing whatever crops we are able to. My mother has enough experience with my father’s orchard to help plan and tend to whatever we plant. ”
“I’d like to visit the local weaponsmith one of these days,” Alvara said. “To see their work and try to increase production if we can.” She would also need to settle Pyry in with the blacksmith as soon as she could. He was the only other somewhat experienced weaponsmith among them.
Alvara could have listed a hundred other tasks to take on, but this would need to do for now. They had been here all morning, with hardly a second of silence passing before someone added another problem, the list of complications only growing as the day wore on.
The sounds of the conversations dulled to a distant hum as she stared at a brown and white owl sitting outside the window.
The bird had been flapping around Gosibik since they arrived, clearly as dazed as the rest of them by all of the changes if it was this active during the day.
She needed a breath of fresh air, a break from everything to begin adjusting to yet another new life.
It was too much. The things they had discussed didn’t even touch the surface of everything that needed to be done in the next few months.
Or however long the king let them have before doing his best to obliterate them.
“Alvara?” Boden’s voice cut through her haze. “I’m happy to show you to the blacksmith whenever you’re ready.”
At least it meant escaping this meeting. “Ready whenever you are.”
He said something to the others in the human tongue before holding the door open for her. The delicious rays of sunlight washed over her skin, the air thick with saltwater as they made their way through the town.
“So where is the weaponsmith?” Alvara asked.
“We won’t be visiting him, at least not today. You looked like you were going to fade from boredom, so I thought it would be a decent enough excuse for us to enjoy some fresh air. And that tour I owe you.”
She smiled. “Thank Vitharen.”
Gosibik proved rather simple, composed mostly of farms and houses, with no taverns or shops to speak of.
It didn’t stop Boden from talking nonstop about his experiences there, the people, and the food.
Alvara recognized her own pride in Vorianta in his words and the joyous spark in his eye, so she did her best to ask as many questions as she could muster with the lack of sleep.
“Before we visit my favorite place in the town, I have somewhere I’d like to show you.” He led the way through more rows of homes constructed from weathered wood until they reached a central clearing.
Small stalls filled every bit of available space, leaving only enough room for a person or two to walk through the lines of tradesmen and vendors.
They passed various humans, some of whom called out to Boden, presumably offering him tastes of their wares, including a simple cake topped with baked apple slices and drizzles of honey.
He passed the meager slice to her and explained that years ago he had indulged in one too many, leaving him with a stomachache that he had yet to forget. Alvara didn’t share his hesitations and devoured the dessert, even after trying her best to slow down and savor the subtle sweetness.
They reached the far end of the market, where Boden gestured to a large stall packed with a colorful array of clothing. “You’ve been tugging on your dress all morning.”
Every piece was stunning. She had always admired the beautiful dresses created from the silks of Valo, though they had little extra money for such luxuries in her youngling years. And working near flames all day hadn’t proved conducive to flowing fabric, no matter how beautiful.
The stall’s owner crossed her arms at the first sight of them, and even though Boden oozed charm with each word, he received only a few muttered phrases in return.
“What was that about?” Alvara stroked a soft red dress embroidered with ivory leaves and flowers. The sleeves cinched in at the elbow, cascading into ethereal translucent fabric that would be a nightmare at the forge or in a fight. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t at least admire it.
“She refuses to sell to elves, though I convinced her for now. It might be best to choose what you’d like before she decides to change her mind.” His tone was light, as if the woman wasn’t acting unimaginably rude, and that’s when a disheartening thought tapped on her skull.
Boden’s outgoing nature, his jokes, was it all a product of spending his life trying to convince humans and elves he was worth their time?
A sour taste leached into Alvara’s mouth, and she grabbed a plain brown tunic, one that was soft enough but also could withstand whatever hard work lay ahead of them and show few scars for it.
She handed it, along with a similarly dull pair of pants, to the vendor who grunted something that elicited a sigh from Boden. “She’s asking twenty elvish coins.”
“That much?”
“The true price is undoubtedly a quarter of what she’s requesting, but we both look like elves.
” He ran his fingers over a powder blue tunic, the color an excruciating reminder of Dalvi.
“I encountered the same issue in Ela as a demi-elf. I quickly learned I could either pay their ridiculous prices or leave with nothing at all.”
Boden spoke of his mistreatment as if it were as commonplace as the weather.
If Alvara had to put up with the disgusted looks and degradation for even a tenth of the time he had, she would have lost her mind.
As it was, she wanted to give the woman a stern talking to, but scaring one human was probably enough for her first few days here.
She shoved her stewing anger aside and paid for her items. “And your favorite spot in the town?”
“Let me show you.” Boden stretched out his arm, and she laid her clothes on top. “The humans…they’re not all terrible.”
“I know.” And she did. Noma and Ylva had risked everything to help her and Pyry escape, even though she had done nothing to deserve their kindness. “But doesn’t it make you angry? The constant mistreatment?”
“Of course it does.” He paused for a few long heartbeats, his footsteps slowing.
“But if I react the way I’d like to, I only feed into their preconceived notions.
People will always be terrified of what they don’t understand.
All of this is an opportunity—a chance to show both sides that our differences are nothing to fear. ”
“You’re a stronger person than me.”
“I doubt that very much.”
The sea peeked out from behind the trees, people milling about as the docks came into full view.
Ships came and went as seagulls circled, their harsh squawks a stark contrast to the gentle lapping of the water that rinsed Alvara’s mind clean of all her worries.
Briny mist settled into her skin, and the breeze brought a slight chill to her bones as she gazed out onto the stretch of deep blue ocean, a shimmering sheet blanketing the earth as far as her eye could see.
Alvara felt…calm.
“I started coming here soon after I learned to shift,” Boden said. “I’ve loved it ever since.”
“With your mother?”
He bent down and picked up a handful of sand, letting the coarse grains flow between his fingers.
“No. She did her best to teach me what she knew of the human language, but she refused to risk bringing me to their lands. Especially to Gosibik, since it was my father’s town.
But I was young and reckless and would travel to the border in my bear form in secret, even exploring the town on my own when I could. ”
He closed his eyes and breathed in, slow and deep.
“The first time I set foot here, I felt like I had found a part of myself that had been missing. So many of the humans were kind to me despite my pointed ears. And when things became…difficult, I would come to this spot, even for just a few minutes. It made my problems seem a little smaller, knowing there was so much more out there.”
Alvara would have responded had a human woman not approached her, holding some kind of basket. The woman’s hand quivered as she held out the gift, like an offering to a god who might smite her for their own entertainment.
As soon as Alvara’s fingers wrapped around the handle, the human scuttled away, leaving her utterly baffled. The contents of the basket did nothing to provide clarity, though they thankfully consisted of a collection of jars and not something more sinister like snakes or fish, Vitharen help her.
“Some humans hold superstitions against elves. They believe if they leave us gifts, we won’t harm them.
” Boden picked up one of the containers and held it up to the sunlight, highlighting little burgundy lumps in what she hoped was a jam.
“Your hair likely makes you stand out more than the others. She might be the first of many.”
Alvara opened a ceramic jar and sniffed it. It held a light tang and looked like a thick, creamy cheese. “Maybe I can get one of them to bring me some of those apple cakes.”
“I have no doubt you could. I’m glad you found something you enjoy about the town.”
“I have since we arrived.” She dangled the basket in front of Boden’s face. “And if he holds this for me, I may decide to be nice and let him have some.”
“I’m not certain where Pyry is, but I could find him for you—”
Alvara thrust the basket into his chest. “He’s a problem for tomorrow.”
He grabbed her hand where she gripped the handle and arched a brow. “And what am I?”
The twinkle dancing in his eyes…the crooked grin that dimpled his cheek…Alvara spoke the truth. “I haven’t decided yet.”