Loving the Shadow

Perla

Perla shifted uncomfortably "He doesn't always use his best intentions..." She tried to defend him but after she said that she thought back to all the times he seemed to care for her, they were just to see if his money maker was hurt. Her heart clenched a little at the thought of her father not caring for her. Her eyes welled with tears, the thought was too hard to bear. "You know, He's the one who appointed Sofi to be my maid?" She started with a dull smile. "She was new to this area of the elves and couldn't speak our language very well. He noticed I needed someone to look after me and so he took her in and had her learn everything she knows now. She played with me, Put me to bed, and read me stories if I begged her enough to." Perla's smile grew warmer with the memories.

"Sofi is which one?" Lyss tilted their head to the side, Perla almost giggled at how cute it was.

"The small woman with the bad accent." She laughed a little at the thought of Sofi's broken english.

"Ah! She almost stepped on me." Lyss chuckled. Perla took a minute to admire their features. The sun colored their hair a beautiful coco brown, it complimented their pale skin and green eyes very well. The trees broke up the sun in beams, the leaves glistened as if made of crystal.

"Yes, that's the one. She didn't mean any harm." She smiled up at them. "She's a little clumsy at times but she does a good job and she never once treated me any differently from the other kids which was refreshing because I was always supposed to be dignified." She used a mocking tone at the word.

Lyss looked down at Perla "She sounds really good for you." Perla nodded. She wondered about Lyss' story but didn't try to pry as it was personal and when they felt like talking they would.

"She is. She's like a mother to me." Perla smiled fondly at the memories she had about Sofi. "Do you know where we are?" Perla looked up at Lyss again and watched them as they thought.

"No, I'm not too familiar with the fae realm." Perla's eyes widened.

"Well I can help with teaching you about the realm. For now, we're in the crystal woods. Look." She held her hand to the sky as a leaf fell, when it settled in her palm she felt the smooth cold of the leaf. She held it up to Lyss. "They're made of jade." She handed them the leaf. Lyss' eyes widened as they held the leaf up to the sun.

"There are things like that here?" They seemed awed by how delicate and intricate the leaf was. Perla nodded, finding a little joy in Lyss' enjoyment of the leaf.

"I read that in the human realm the leaves are actually soft and can be crunchy when the colder months come around."

"They are." Lyss said simply as they let the jade leaf fall to the grass.

"You've seen them?!" Perla's voice was excited as she sat up quickly to look at them. Eager to learn more.

"Yes. I used to be in the human realm for a while."

Perla's eyes widened in awe and surprise. "Tell me, tell me everything."

Hours flew by with Lyss telling Perla stories about the human realm. Perla hung on every word they said.

A couple hours passed, and Perla looked up At the sky, "It's probably time to go back, It'll be dark soon." Perla stood up and held a hand out to Lyss to help them. Lyss took it and swiftly stood up, Perla smiled at them and began a trek back.

When they got close to the house Lyss turned back into a kitten after disappearing behind a tree. 'I wonder why they do that.' She watched as they trotted up to her smirking. Perla scooped them up and brought them with her into her room, Once they were inside Lyss squirmed out of her hands and disappeared only to walk out in their human form. They looked a little tired. "Are you okay?" Perla went over to them worriedly.

"I'm fine, Shifting takes a lot of energy especially when it's between forms as drastic as this one and the cat."

Perla nodded, storing this information in her head. "Do you need food? I can ask to have some sent here?"

"Food would be great. Thank you." Lyss plopped down on the lounge chair as Perla left to get food. Perla briskly walked down the hall, the Marble floors felt cool on her feet. The dress was heavy as she didn't get a chance to change just yet. When she got to the kitchen she noticed no one was there. She sighed and gathered ingredients only knowing how to make a few different foods. After a little while she had a huge plate stacked with elf bread, Sliced crystal apples, and some butterfly wings. Perla gilded with haste back to her room.