Destiny (Volume N: Alalëa)

Chapter I Part 6

The last leg of the journey was passed mostly in silence. Leafë was still peeved about Glenwing's comment and refused to even glance at him (glares directed at his back when Ohen pulled ahead notwithstanding). In turn, he too seemed to try and avoid her gaze. When they stopped in Ceunon for their midday meal, he barely chatted with Arva, who - put off by his nephew's surliness - quieted down and thus left a palpable silence in the air. Oromis sat peacefully, undisturbed by the tension, though the girl was sure that he no doubt could already tell what was going on.

Leafë was momentarily distracted from her anger at the sight of so many humans. Elves too inhabited the city, as it was one of theirs, but being a hub for traders made it a gathering spot for the other races amidst Alagaësia. Save for her people, humans made up the majority of the population, and this was the first time she had ever seen them in such large numbers. While she had ventured outside of Du Weldenvarden in the past, she'd only ever stayed in strictly elvish cities such as Bierçin or Täyrlí. And the only humans she'd met were diplomats visiting Ellesméra or Riders.

They were a strange lot, with their too-round eyes and ears. The clothing they wore looked coarse enough to be uncomfortable, and they moved so erratically despite their slowness. The girl was thoroughly confused and simultaneously intrigued by them, despite how most humans barely paid them any mind since the dragons were waiting outside the city.

One small child did notice her stare, gazing back with big eyes reminiscent of the gliding squirrel Kuthian the Venturer had found to the east beyond the Hadarac Desert and gifted to Islanzadí in celebration of the birth of the new dröttningu. She blinked, and the child smiled widely in return, revealing her small teeth. It was slightly startling to see that human's teeth weren't pointed like other carnivores before she remembered that that was just an old elfish insult. Besides, they were omnivores, anyhow.

Still, she preferred greens to meat and happily dined on fried buttered fruit salad in the small tavern the group had found themselves in. Her mother would have never let her eat so unhealthily, which was no doubt why her bodyguard was smirking into his stupid spinach soup. For an unkind moment, the girl hoped he drowned in it, her ire born anew when his eyes darted up to meet hers only to quickly flit away.

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of color, by the time Leafë could begin to make out the Arcaena Reliquary. It sat on the ridge of a mountain, only a few hundred feet below them, a round dome carved completely of stone. She knew that each of its perforations were nooks that housed hundreds of tomes and scrolls, divided into a multitude of categories. Tilting her head so that the wind blew across her face, the smell of ink and paper could already reach her - though that may have been her over active imagination talking.

A wide grin stretched across her face as Glaedr and Ohen began to descend, the thrum of excitement and discovery clearing any lingering vestiges of resentment from her. The bag of scrolls she'd brought along seemed paltry next to all the knowledge that was housed within the stone slabs. While not as beautiful as her home, the Reliquary was still a sight to behold.

When they landed, Oromis immediately directed Glenwing to help her dismount. He and Leafë both glanced at him in surprise, as he'd said nothing when they were in Ceunon. However, she unbuckled herself quietly while the älfr approached. His jaw was tight as he held out a hand, and it was off-putting enough for her to forget to remove her other foot from the loop that acted as a stirrup.

Caught, the girl fell against him, clutching his blue tunic as she hastily began apologizing. Peeking up through her hair, she noticed that his eyes seemed even bluer than usual, and they held the same warmth that had been lacking since she'd stormed away earlier in the morning. Leafë blinked and found herself held in her bodyguard's arms as he hurriedly climbed down to set her safely on the ground. He turned away, but not in time to hide the red stain across his cheekbones.

She'd known he wasn't as unaffected as he pretended to be.

Smiling once more, the girl quickened her pace to walk alongside him as they followed the Riders, who had already unbuckled the saddles. Arva seemed to be grinning at his nephew, who steadily refused to look at him as much as he refused to look at her. Though she couldn't see his face anymore, she was sure Glenwing was still blushing.

Their moment, though brief, had ended the tense atmosphere. Oromis knocked on the large oak doors, and they opened as if by magic. Nearly bouncing with anticipation, Leafë eagerly darted around him to enter as a voice bubbling with laughter asked, "Now what took you?"

"I've missed you, too," the white-haired elf replied, his face softened the same as Evandar's did whenever he came home to his consort.

Before them stood a short woman whose slightly pointed features marked her as a human Rider. Her eyes were a lively hazel shade with a smattering of golden flecks, but it was her hair that caught the attention: long enough to nearly reach the ground and the color of fire itself. Her features had the sort of beauty that shone brighter with what was held underneath, and her straight white teeth flashed at the sight of them - or rather, at the sight of Oromis.

He stepped forward into her embrace, his soft chuckle a perfect fit for her boisterous laughter. Her enthusiasm caused him to spin her once before setting her down; Leafë had never seen the älfr look so young and carefree as he did with this redheaded woman. Managing to peal his eyes off her, Oromis looked towards the rest of them and said, "Glenwing, Leafë, I would like you to meet my mate, Ruby. Ruby, this is Glenwing Valtharos and Leafë Drött—"

"As if I don't know who they are!" Ruby swatted him lightly as stepped forward, hand outstretched. "Arva's told me all about you."

"All good things, I hope," Glenwing joked lightly as he shook the offered hand.

The Rider snorted and replied, "Well, I can't lie, can I? And I've been looking forward to meeting my newest apprentice."

Leafë shook hands, not used to the gesture but recognizing it nonetheless. Still, her elation at being called an apprentice lead her to say, "Atra esterní ono thelduin." Though she was du dröttningu and the woman was human, Ruby was also a Rider and going to be her master from now on, and thus the proper respect should be demonstrated.

"Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr," the redhead greeted in return, her eyes sparkling even more than before. "I've heard that you love to learn almost as much as Della, so I'm sure you'll fit in quite well here. Welcome to the Arcaena Reliquary!"

Though a bit confused by the familiarity with which Ruby said her grandmother's apparent nickname (which she'd never heard anyone use before), Leafë's grin only stretched wide upon hearing those long awaited words.

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A/N: Finally an update! Though I haven't caught up with my schoolwork by any stretch of imagination, I have found the time to begin writing once more, and this is what was produced! As volume zero hasn't been updated in around two months *shudder* and is the easiest for me to work on, it was first chosen to begin an end to my lately-stated-hiatus. While I can't promise regular updates, I can presume that - barring no unforeseen circumstances - updates will be coming in the near future. Decided to post this today rather than Thursday in celebration of finally writing something for me after months of writing nothing but papers. Hope you guys enjoyed it, and be sure to lavish me in the comments below, lol. ;D