✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

34

"I'm leaving tomorrow," I say through a sigh. El nods, her brown hair lifting into the air as a crisp wind blows by, cooling my cheeks.

"I know."

"I don't know what's going to happen over there, so... Thank you."

"Mia, you're going to be fine."

"I know," I reply halfheartedly. "But anyway. Thanks for being my friend. And teaching me to fight, but mostly the friend thing." We both chuckle, and El wraps an arm around me, squeezing my shoulder comfortingly.

"Of course," she says in Elvish. "You're not too bad." The air is light again as we both laugh. For the rest of our time together we talk and watch the branches of the trees bounce in the breeze.

-

The sun turns from white to golden-yellow as the sun dips down towards the horizon, giving Earthe it's last bit of warmth for the day. Snow crunches under my feet as I walk smoothly over it, through the trees, down a path I know well now. It's the path to the stream. Yes, the one where Fin and his friends tried to push me in. But in my spare time these past few weeks I like to come down this path. There are rarely any elves walking on it, and it's away from the crowd, a place where I can be alone. The memories that come along with it are still there, but I can appreciate it more now.

Playing idly with the ember stone in my pocket, I reach the stream area.

Instead of sitting on the bench I walk over into the trees a bit and look around. A crunching noise has my head snapping towards the sound, and I see movement. But it's just a deer, standing on the other side of the stream. I smile, watching it. It looks like deer from Earth, but it's antlers have swirly, elven patterns carved into it, which I'm guessing is just how their antlers grow. It lifts its lean head and stares at me, its small tail twitching. Breath fogs out of my mouth and it's nose as we look at each other for a minute. I Feel oddly peaceful.

I love interactions with nature like this, where you can be with a wild animal for more than a second. You can appreciate it for a creature not that different from yourself, and you can be at peace with each other, no food chain, no worrying about trying to kill it. It's like both animal and human- really, we're animals, too- acknowledge each other. Then the deer suddenly turns around and hops over a fallen log, sprinting away from me into the forest.

I hear footsteps from about about a half mile away, and turn to the sound, making sure a thick tree is at my back for protection. But as the figure gets closer, my thoughts ease. It's just Knox. His cloak sways as he walks down the path towards me. I can't help but smile a little as I watch him approach. He's not even doing anything, just walking. But he's so... Perfect. I just can't help that a small smile makes it's way to my face.

"Hi," he says when he gets close enough.

"Hey."

He steps off the path to join me in the woods, his hair falling over his shoulder, and I'm once again struck at how well he pulls off long hair. I mean, all elves do, but how?! I don't know, but wow. Jesus, Mia, I never would have thought I would hear myself talk about a boy like this.

"Did you see the deer?" I ask, looking back across the stream to where it was.

"Yeah, I think I scared it off, actually," Knox says, chuckling.

"It's so pretty. Prettier than deer on Earth."

"Their all pretty in their own ways," He replies.

I tilt my head in a 'so-so' motion. Knox just shakes his head with a smile, following my gaze to where the deer was standing. We stay in silence for a moment- the prominent talking topic is not ideal. But I kinda feel like I want to talk about it. Or like we have to. I don't know.