PELAIR. The Gems of the Golden Serpent.

11. Magyar

                                                                                                ***

As the days became weeks and these months finally turned into years, Aela ended up accepting her fate and adapted to the customs and rules of the order. She did not want to disappoint her tutor. She noted, however, that there was a certain coldness towards her in the treatment of the other novices, and some of the sisters treated her with disdain.

"Could it be that I'm not following some rule?" She commented to Balin one day the dwarf accompanied her on a stroll through the forest.

Aela grew up turning into a beautiful girl, even though her beauty went unnoticed in such a place. Whoever saw her in the forest and did not know her, would have never imagined that the girl belonged to the strict and closed order. To begin with, she changed her novice outfit for a garment the dwarves gave her, consisting of tight-fitting pants made of fallow deer skin treated to make it extremely soft, and a wide linen nightgown that covered her torso, which nevertheless allowed her ampleness of movements. A short bearskin cape served to cover her back and protect her from the cold, while her head went covered by a conical hat that reached down to her ears. She rather looked like a large version of a female dwarf.

Balin accompanied her every time she ventured alone through the forest. The dwarf could not enter the abbey, for it was forbidden to men, dwarf or not. The entire valley was a forbidden place for any member of the male gender. A couple of old and blind monks belonging to the order of the falcon were in charge of attending the abbey's hawks, and due to the demands of that order, were the only representatives of the male gender in all that region.

The dwarves, however, inhabited the forests despite the priestesses, who could not control them. They had been the first and oldest inhabitants of those places and no one would prevent them from continuing to do so.

However, it was extremely difficult to find signs of their existence, as they were very adept at camouflaging and blending into the environment of the grove. They usually lived in small caves they bore into the slopes of the mountains. Some built aerial houses on the branches of the largest trees deep within the forest.

Balin was not however her only and exclusive dwarf friend. She had many more friends among the dwarves, seduced by the docile, gentle, and friendly character of the young woman.

Dwarves were creatures of the forest, small but extremely agile and intelligent. Although short in stature, some were fat, thin, some shorter, others a little taller. They generally had a thick nose that stood out above their faces. They had lively eyes, some had large ears, some round ones, others pointed ears. Their clothing was as varied as their figures.

Bartol was one of those dwarves who had adopted Aela, much to Balin's jealousy. The girl had become his pupil in the demanding art of pole fighting. The dwarf taught her all the tricks of fighting with this instrument. He also served as an opponent in her usual sword practices, which she had not abandoned, becoming more and more skilled in the use of this weapon.

Other dwarves took it upon themselves to teach her the use of the sling, with which she could hurl small pebbles in rapid sequence. A dwarf girl named Krisia, who also had become her good friend, took it upon herself to illustrate Aela in the art of lighting a fire using just a flint.

Rinna was very pleased with the acceptance of her ward by the dwarves. She knew he could let her wander alone in those woods, for she would always be protected.

"I think it's time for you to know the reasons Rinna left the abbey in the first place". Balin told Aela at hearing her complaint. "I don't think Rinna will explain it to you, and someone should."