Chapter 46
T he next day, they crossed into Light Elf land, and Aelrie could breathe a sigh of relief.
Home.
The sunlight filtering through the colorful trees was richer here somehow, buttery and golden, and warmer to the touch.
They found the road but forwent it for a path through the forest, a faster route to Alfheim, and one that would save them an entire day’s journey.
On the third day, the morning was foggy. The colors from yesterday were cloaked in a coat of mist. This was rare in Light Elf land, where the sun shone brighter, and the days rarely turned gray; even the rain would break quickly to sunshine.
But today their path was harder to find, and it was nearly midday when they made it out of the woods and found the road to Alfheim again with Emerald Forest at their side.
From here, the journey to Aelrie’s city would take at least a full day on foot. They were supposed to find Vainir Neverwinter at Nerilion’s temple tomorrow, just before sundown. They would make it, although they were pressed, and would have to find a place in Emerald Forest to camp for the night.
Aelrie was a good runner and could do long distances, being able to set a reasonable pace for herself. Fyn was a good runner also, but more adept at sprinting. After a few hours of running on the road, though, he had to stop for breath.
They took a break and shared what they had left in their water flask. She knew where to find clean water in Emerald Forest for when they would have to make camp later that evening.
Her ears then perked at a commotion coming from the forest north of them.
Instinctively, she reached for Fyn. He took out his blades as a response; he’d heard it too.
Suddenly, a great white stag bounded from the trees and crossed the road behind them.
But that wasn’t what was making the noise.
The gargantuan chimera that crashed through the trees was the source of it.
Chimeras were cursed creatures befouled by nature to take on the appearance of a lion, snake, and goat.
Made by the mad god, Lycos, as a joke, they infected Emerald Forest, but their numbers were dwindling now only because of the Light Elves’ attempts at curtailing their population.
As with its hunt of the majestic, rare white stag, which was now long gone and flew off to safety, the chimera decimated the natural wildlife in the forest and should be put down when found.
Correction. Should be put down if hunted as a group. For it would take a group to take one down. Perhaps she and Fyn could do it together, but Aelrie was without her bow, and it would not be easy .
It was better to … “Run!” she yelled to Fyn as the chimera set its sights on them, forgetting about the stag in an instant.
“Stay your blade,” she followed up with as Fyn still had his blades out. “This foe is strong.”
The chimera was old, having seen its fair share of battles. Its hide was thick and full of scars. It was a large male, having grown to full size by sheer might in cutting down its competition, as males instantly fight to the death when they encounter each other.
“To the forest!” she bade him. There were some good hiding spots in Emerald Forest, crawl holes and caves, the chimera wouldn’t be able to fit, wouldn’t be able to find them.
The chimera’s snake head tail swirled in the air.
It was casting a spell. “Hurry!” she yelled and pulled him back just as a lightning bolt struck the ground where Fyn had stood a second ago.
Rolls of sparks shot across the dirt road where the lightning struck, which they had to avoid.
The spells called by a fully mature chimera could roast one to the bone like a cut of steak over an open flame.
She ran through the trees with Fyn beside her, and the chimera charged after them close behind.
She knew this part of the forest. Up ahead, the area wasn’t as flat as it was near the road.
There were small hills, pits, and caves, perfect places for chimera dens and probably where this chimera came from.
If they could find another chimera male, then this one would go for it instead of them .
Chimeras always seek larger or more powerful prey, whether from hubris or some of the madness imparted to them by their creator.
They were fast, but the chimera was faster despite its size and trampled through the forest, whereas they had to navigate through it.
She felt a surge of magic from behind as they came to a rock wall.
They could climb up it to escape the chimera, but the chimera was casting a spell.
They wouldn’t make it in time before getting struck down by its devastating lightning.
Then, came the whizz of an arrow. She twirled her head back to see the chimera with an arrow stuck through its snake head tail. That part of the chimera casts the spells, and with it gone, that meant no more spells.
Good for their escape.
But the chimera still had its strength in its lion head and guidance in the goat head.
The chimera turned away from Aelrie and Fyn to face its new attacker. The goat head scanned the forest to see where the threat came from.
But it took only two more arrows to kill the goat head.
Without the goat head for guidance, the lion relied on pure strength, but because of this, his reaction was sloppy and unorganized.
He raced forward at full speed without knowing exactly where the arrows were coming from, only to be hit by a succession of arrows to his face, and one that took out an eye.
The chimera growled and wobbled; blinded, it couldn’t run anymore. One last arrow pierced his neck, and he fell, shaking the ground beneath them.
There was only one elf in this forest who could take down a fully grown chimera with only a bow.
A Light Elf stood on top of a small hill with a longbow in his hand and the fog dissipating to the brilliant afternoon sun at his back. His long hair was golden, half of it was drawn back out of his face, and his eyes were a cool blue.
He stared down at them, but at her especially.
“Aelrie?” the elf questioned, trying to peer past her hood.
She removed the hood that covered most of her face. “Father.”
Her father stowed his bow. He looked over immediately at Fyn. “Who is this? A friend?” His scrutiny said much more than his words.
“Yes, a friend.”
Her father nodded. “We’ve been worried sick. Come, let’s get you home.” He gestured with his head for them to follow.
She knew the way but didn’t want to leave Fyn behind.
Her father’s head turned to the side as he walked. “I know you are Dark Elf. You don’t have to hide behind that hood.”
She looked behind at Fyn. She nodded at him, and so he removed his hood. “You know I’m Dark Elf … yet you don’t move to strike me?”
“I would under different circumstances, don’t misunderstand. But I trust my daughter.”
She gave a reassuring smile to Fyn. He walked closer to them after that. Fyn trusted her implicitly, too .
They came upon Aelrie’s family home, a cottage with a flower and vegetable garden in the front beside a sycamore tree in the heart of Emerald Forest. The gardens were there because of her mother.
The vegetable garden was practical and kept them well-fed along with her father’s hunts, but the flower garden was more for pride, as her mother always told her, “Sometimes the least necessary things are life’s most necessary. ”
And she needn’t forget Old Man Aaranay. She was no Wood Elf, but she could have sworn that tree told her its name when she was a child. She had loved to climb that sycamore, taking the seedballs, pretending they were fancy baubles and she was a noble lady in Alfheim.
She opened the door to her family cottage, and the lovely golden light from the kitchen windows in the back greeted her.
To the left was the parlor with wooden armchairs and hand-stitched cushions, a shabby bookcase filled with all the romance and adventure books she'd read hundreds of times while sprawled out on the rug in front of it, and the bow grease her father would use to grease his bows as he sat in his chair.
To the right was the dining room with its knobby oak table and chairs. Upstairs were the bedrooms.
Her mother was preparing something in the kitchen for supper. She spied a pumpkin gutted on the table. Pumpkin soup it was then. It was the season for it.
She walked further in, and, as if recognizing her footsteps, her mother turned around, the long light brown braid at the back of her head swishing around with her. “Aelrie,” she called out, craning her head around in joyful anticipation until they met her eyes.
“My darling girl.” Her mother raced to embrace her and then looked her over as a mother does when she suspects something is amiss. Her mother had blue-gray eyes like her own, but they were more gray than blue. Aelrie’s eyes were more blue, perhaps a gift from her father.
“I was so worried. We heard about what happened … to the high priestess. They said you went missing.”
She knew she was spoiled by having loving parents. Being their only child, she was the light of their lives, as they were the guiding sun of hers. She tried to make it home for a visit as often as she could, but the temple had kept her busy.
“I’m all right,” she told her, knowing that her mother would worry regardless. “I have to get back to Alfheim, though.”
“Now? Why not spend the night? We haven’t seen you for some time.”
"Alright then." She couldn’t say no to her mother, who only wanted to spend time with her.
She then looked over at Fyn. “Is that alright with you? We will be able to make it to Alfheim by tomorrow from here.”
Fyn looked around her parents’ cottage. It was cozy and quaint with a bit of the sophisticated charm Light Elves were known for. There was something in his eyes, not anxiety, but something softer. He nodded silently.
Her mother now noticed Fyn, saw he was a Dark Elf, and fear grew in her eyes. Her father walked in behind them. “He’s a friend,” he said to her mother.
“Of course.” Her mother calmed herself. She approached Fyn with a smile, treating him as a guest, looking him over. “Oh,” she sighed and turned to Aelrie. “He’s handsome!”
Aelrie blushed, feeling like a teenager again. “Mother, Father, this is Telfyn. He is my friend.”
Her parents still looked young, their faces smooth, and only a few strands of silver in their hair. Elves retained their youth for most of their lives and only aged near the end of it.
“And.” She looked over at Fyn. “This is my father, Ciran, and my mother, Sylia.”
Fyn bowed to her mother in the Light Elf way. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”
Her mother giggled at this. Fyn was a charmer.
Her father made his way to the front door. “You’re leaving again? But Aelrie just arrived,” her mother protested.
Her father turned to kiss her mother’s forehead.
“I need to check the northern border. And there’s a chimera I have yet to skin. I’ll be back by supper, my heart.” As her father said this, he placed his hand over his heart as he always did when he called her mother this.
Her mother smiled and blushed at this. Growing up, this was normal for her, seeing her parents so in love with each other, no matter how long the years spanned. But with her inexperience in relationships, she never got to feel this for herself.
What would her relationship with Fyn be like, as it was only in its nascent stage? And now they discussed starting a life together, building a home.
She made a small prayer while watching her parents, that one day, she and Fyn would still be so in love with each other as her parents so obviously were, even as the years passed by in a flurry.
“I'm going to show Fyn around,” she told her mother. “We’ll be back by supper as well.”
“Fine,” her mother sighed. “I’ll relent. But you’d both best be on time. I cannot assure latecomers will get their supper.”
“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it for all the gold in Yggdrasil.” Her father left and headed north, but Aelrie took Fyn west. She had something she wanted to show him.