What Is Done

Chapter 31 - The Crickets Have Arthritis

When the weather was nice, Valka and Moria liked to spend the better part of the day in the courtyard. Truth be told, any weather in Elven Guard was nice—it was almost magical. That day was particularly sunny with clouds spotting the sky. Autumn was always crisp in Arün. It was time for the deciduous trees to have their leaves turn to bright colors.

Laverne approached his parents, who were sitting at an iron outdoor table, carrying his own book. Valka read a book bound in a leather cover while eating from a platter of seasoned crackers and cheese. Moria kept trying to nab his attention by rambling about something she overheard. When he accidentally gave her the cold shoulder from being too engrossed in his book, she shivered and tightened her shawl around her shoulders. Then she stared at the trees waving in the light wind. There had been a slight chill in the air. Moria solely sensed it. The cold didn't bother her husband and son as much as it should have. Neither of them were caught off guard when they learned the cold didn't concern Laverne. He was born of winter's pale after all.

"Valka," Moria chastised, striving for his attention. He carried on with setting aside his wife. "Valka. Valka. Valley."

Valka's eyes crept over the edge of his book. "I hate that nickname."

"I know; that's why I said it. It's one way to get you to pay attention to me."

"My bad," Valka bookmarked his place in the book and set it to the side.

"I know you love that book. Still, am I not more important?" Moria pressed her hand against Valka's forearm in a seductive manner. 

Valka thought for a second ahead of shaking the thoughts from his cranium. "No, no. You're definitely more important than some dumb book." Valka's heart sank as he said that. Anybody could see it in his crystal, waterfall colored eyes. Laverne certainly saw it. "You have my undivided attention."

"I was going to say—"

Moria cut off as Laverne chimed in, approaching them, "Hello, Mother. Hello, Father."

"Hello, Laverne." Valka bobbed his head forward in a show of good faith.

"I apologize, Mother. I cut you off." Laverne bowed deeply in apologeticness, keeping his arms folded one on top of the other.

Moria waved a hand to illustrate brushing it off, "It's fine."

"What were you going to say before I...rudely...interrupted?"

Moria tried to take no notice of Valka's eyes burning into her, waiting for a response. He was too focused on his wife now. Moria would have likely preferred him to go back to dawdling and giving half-wit replies.

"I was going to say that I'm going to head inside and take a warm bath," Moria began to stand.

"Oh, I see," Valka riposted. "Enjoy." 

"I don't see how you men stand the brisk cold."

"I'm a man, Laverne's still a boy," Valka retorted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Moria grinned at him.

"I'll get there, Father." Laverne put his arms behind his back and locked both sets of fingers to the hardcover book.

"I'm sure you will," Valka responded simply, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Well, I'm going inside. See you later, Elf Nugget." Moria patted her son on his shoulder prior to leaving.

Laverne took his mother's empty chair. It was warm compared to the brisk air she'd described earlier. Her thick thighs held immense body heat. Laverne set his book on the table. I'Erandke önn Gahuel Volume 47. The series had sixty-seven books in total. Stories said that Gahuel aimed for one book and somehow ended up with many.