Copyright (C) 2009 Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
All Rights Reserved
The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding is posted for your reading enjoyment only and not to be reposted anywhere else. Thank you and happy reading!
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
FRIENDS IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
The sight of Jahrra being half carried, half dragged back to the house by her friends and one of the servants must have been quite a sight for the lord and lady of the great house to behold. Fortunately, they were too busy indulging their adult guests to notice not only the large party now approaching, but also the fact that they had been short twenty or so children for quite some time now.
The knowledge that she might've been missed didn't bother Jahrra one bit. In fact, she was greatly pleased by it. The last thing she wanted to do was draw more attention to herself by causing a scene among so many disapproving people. The large, strangely-silent mob stopped at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the back patio, eyes still wide with shock from what had happened in the canyon.
The young man who had come to the rescue turned, left Jahrra to lean against Scede, and addressed the other children, "Now, I'm going to take this young lady into the kitchens so she can clean up. I suggest the rest of you return to the party and enjoy the rest of your night."
The Nesnan man, who didn't look much older than Jahrra's oldest schoolmates, had a kindly tone of voice and seemed genuinely concerned about Jahrra's recovery. He also seemed quite aware of how this scene would be received by the host and hostess. Jahrra had a feeling that he knew the master and mistress of the house would be more horrified at the idea of a girl covered in mud than at the fact she'd nearly been killed.
The young servant looked over the children once again, his eyes dark and his mouth set sternly. He clasped his hands casually in front of him, as if patiently waiting for an unruly party guest to finish a long-winded complaint. It seemed to work because gradually the school children began shuffling their way up the stairs, leaving only Scede and Gieaun remaining.
"Now, how about it?" he asked, jerking his head toward the stairs after the other children.
"She's our best friend," Gieaun said, tears swimming in her eyes as she hugged Jahrra's overly-abused jacket. "Can't we go with her?"
She looked up at the young man with pleading eyes, and he sighed, dropping all pretenses. "Of course, of course. I just hope you three don't mind spending the rest of the evening in the kitchen with us lowly servants." He smiled warmly and Jahrra cheered up a bit.
The young man went on to explain to them that the two children who came and got him told him all about what had happened.
"It just isn't right, treating people so. I know how you feel."
He patted Jahrra on the shoulder and instead of heading up the stairs they took a narrow stone path leading under the raised terrace and across a narrow footbridge over the creek.
"Where exactly are we going?" asked Scede cautiously.
"To the lowest level of the house, where the kitchens and servants' quarters are," he replied. "Don't worry. The partygoers won't venture down here. You'll have a chance to clean up and get something to eat. And if you wish to stay, you're welcome to partake in our own humble celebration of the Solsticetide."
He smiled down at the younger boy and Scede returned the gesture weakly.
Jahrra thought her rescuer had a charming smile and although his face showed that he was tired, his dark brown eyes laughed when he grinned. At the other end of the footbridge there was another stone deck, one that was attached to the north wall of the house. The young man led the children up to a wooden door and knocked at it strongly. A few seconds later a short, rather round woman jerked the door open in alarm.
"Lahnehn! Where ya' been? We been lookin' all over for ya'!" she exclaimed.
She seemed quite perturbed and relieved at the same time. Her face was pink and shining with sweat as if she'd been slaving over a stove all day. Her light brown hair was streaked evenly with gray and was tied back tightly in a bun, all except for a crown of lose tendrils that floated around her tired face. Her brow was furrowed and her small russet eyes were narrowed.
"Many sorrys Mrs. Addie, but you see I was called away for an emergency of sorts," the young man explained guiltily as he gestured towards Jahrra. "This young lady was enticed up the falls at the end of the canyon by our young master, and she fell only to be caught by a patch of oak branches."
"Oh, my!" the older lady retorted.
Her stern demeanor softened for a heartbeat but hardened once again as she placed her hands on her hips.
"That youngin' is too brash I tell ya', far too brash gettin' others into trouble. Come in dearie, we'll fix ya' up. I'll call in some of the younger 'uns to get ya' cleaned up and then we'll fetch ya' somethin' to eat. Thank goo'ness for the oak tho'. Ethoes herself musta been watchin' out for ya."
The woman shoved her sleeves farther up her plump arms and fluttered off in a flurry of skirts while the young man led the children into what could only be the kitchen. The warmth of the room was welcoming to Jahrra, who was dripping and freezing from the cold mud that coated the entire front of her body.
As she stood waiting to thaw out, she scanned the large room now surrounding her. There were three long, heavy wooden tables stretched across the floor, all of which were covered in food awaiting preparation. Four great stone ovens were set deep in the wall at the far end of the hall with a doorway and staircase, presumably leading to the upper levels of the house, placed on either side of them. On the right hand side of the kitchen was a great basin for washing and preparing food, and on both sides of this basin was a door leading to another room.
The kitchen was buzzing quietly with the sounds of boiling water and simmering soups, but it wasn't yet clattering and roaring with the clamor caused by busy chefs trying to get dinner ready on time. Jahrra sighed sleepily, detecting the subtle flavors of fresh herbs and spices hanging in the warm air.
A few minutes later Mrs. Addie returned with two younger women, one skinny and sickly looking, the other tall and plump with smallish eyes. Both women looked worn down, but they had kind faces and managed to cheerfully lead Jahrra through one of the two doors near the gargantuan wash basin.
Jahrra stepped easily into the other room, realizing instantly that it was the living quarters for the house servants. She counted a dozen or so rows of beds with only curtains to give privacy, and just one large window on the far end of the room. Under the window there was an area with a tub for bathing and washing up. Jahrra stood grazing her eyes over the walls, floor and ceiling while the women hauled in hot water, soap, towels and spare clothes. Once the tub was filled, they left Jahrra to soak in the steaming, fragrant water.
"But my clothes, what'll I do with them?" she asked sullenly before the servants left.
"Don't worry lass, we'll put 'em to soak. Maybe they'll be all well after all," said the thin woman, smiling warmly.
After she was dry and bandaged, Jahrra returned to the kitchen to find Gieaun and Scede sitting below the great window next to the staircase leading up to the second floor. The window was recessed into the wall with a wide ledge, perfect for cooling an army of pies or providing a nice place to sit and take a break from kitchen work.
The window looked out over the creek and although it wasn't constructed of the beautiful tiny, diamond-paned glass of the upper level of the house, it was still majestic in its simple design. The walls on either side of it were draped in garlands of holly, ivy, pine branches and mistletoe and trimmed with delicate gold ribbon. Jahrra smiled at the sight, grateful to be in this wonderful place and not upstairs.
Gieaun and Scede were sitting on cushions that someone had acquired for them and were now watching the creek run by. Once they caught sight of Jahrra, however, they immediately jumped up from their relaxed position and nearly crushed her lungs with their hugs.
Once settled, Jahrra informed them of what really happened at the top of the waterfall. Gieaun had to help her hold Scede back when he tried to march up the stairs in search of Eydeth.
"I'll kill him!" he breathed.
Shortly after Jahrra assured her friends she would be fine, the young servant who'd helped her earlier came out of one of the rooms beside the basin carrying a bundle of blankets.
"I know they aren't much, but with the fire from the ovens they should keep you warm."
He grinned and dropped the bundle on top of them, causing them to laugh for the first time that day.
"Now," he continued with a sly grin, "I've got to go check on the guests right now, but later I hope to see you three drinking cocoa and cream and listening to the tales and music of these fine people down here."
He winked and left them just as the kitchen grew busy with life. There were many servants, young and old, men and women, of all shapes and sizes, but all Nesnan from the looks of it. There were five chefs and bakers, two men and three women, who prepared and cooked the food. The meat that had already been roasting when the three friends first arrived was now being removed from the spits and cut and placed on ornate dishes. Soups and stews were ladled out, fresh baked bread sliced and buttered, fruits and vegetables roasted and sugared. Puddings, pies and cakes were put into the ovens or arranged beautifully on plates.
The clanking and scuffling of utensils and feet upon the worn stone floor filled the air and blended with the hum of voices and the minute crackle of the oven fires. Jahrra's mouth began watering as the aroma of roasting meat and vegetables, creamy soups and baking pastries spread throughout the room. She leaned into her soft pillow with a contented sigh and wrapped the thick quilt more tightly around her. Her leg was feeling much better now that she had soaked it in the hot water, and the steaming tea that one of the kitchen workers handed her was easing the pain in her head. The only discomfort the three friends felt was their growing hunger, made worse by the tantalizing aromas of the feast.
After several minutes, Jahrra's rescuer returned from upstairs quite flustered, almost overlooking the three children he'd left on the windowsill.
"Oh, forgive me," he said once he finally noticed them. "Some of those high society types can be quite frustrating. Sing and dance for them indeed!"
The children giggled into their blankets and the young man soon forgot the rude guests.
"I'm terribly sorry, I never introduced myself," he said lightly once the children recovered from their amusement. "I'm called Lahnehn, and you three are?"
Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede introduced themselves in turn, shaking hands and smiling.
"Pleased to meet you all," Lahnehn remarked. "Now, I can only assume that you're growing quite hungry?"
They all nodded vigorously and Lahnehn invited them to join him in making a plate from the food on the tables. Along the way, he introduced them to the many servants and cooks, all of whom were delighted to have such young visitors in the kitchens. Once the four had their food they returned to the windowsill to watch the twilight sky turn inky blue. Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede sat back onto their cushions and Lahnehn pulled up a stool.
"So, where do you three come from?" he asked as they began to eat their meal of roast turkey, herbed potatoes, wild berry casserole and spiced apple cider.
"We come from the Great Sloping Hill to the south, but we go to school in Aldehren," Scede replied around a mouthful of stuffing.
"Ah, and this is how you became classmates of my young masters then?" Lahnehn commented with arched eyebrows, "How do you like school?"
"It's horrible," replied Jahrra truthfully. "I'd much rather learn all my lessons from Master Hroombra."
"Master Hroombra? I've never heard of a teacher by that name." Lahnehn stabbed at a few chunks of golden potatoes with his fork, and then turned his head back to Jahrra, waiting for her answer.
"He's my guardian," Jahrra replied, then added confidently, "he's a great dragon who knows everything there is to know."
Lahnehn looked up quickly, choking somewhat on his food. "A dragon? Here in the southern part of Oescienne? I've never seen such a thing!"
The look on his face was a mixture of delight and surprise.
"Do you travel south of the Raenyan Valley often?" Jahrra queried rather casually.
"Nay, once or twice a year I'll travel into Aldehren or to the coast, but that's as far as I go. I mainly stay here or visit Kiniahn Kroi."
"Well," interjected Jahrra rather pertly, "Master Hroombra rarely travels also. He can no longer fly and walks slowly, so he mainly stays at the Castle Guard Ruin where I live."
Jahrra lost her gumption when she suddenly remembered why she was in the kitchen in the first place and not up in the main part of the house. She'd let Hroombra down, and her dread and guilt suddenly returned at the memory.
Lahnehn sensed a change in her demeanor and tried to continue the conversation casually. "You live with a dragon? That must be quite interesting. What's he like?"
"He's kind, and is patient with me when I make mistakes. He'll not be happy with what I did today," Jahrra answered sadly, suddenly uninterested in her dinner.
Lahnehn realized he'd brought up a sore subject and tried to redeem himself. "Don't worry, he'll understand. He may seem angry at first, but it's only because he cares for your safety. Come now, let's talk about something else."
And so Gieaun and Scede took their turn at conversing and briefly told Lahnehn about their lives while Lahnehn told about his, how he was from the city of Glordienn to the east and how he'd once been a slave.
"I worked on a farm there with my family, and the man who owned my family had a bad crop and was forced to sell me. I knew as a slave I had no rights, but my master always treated my family well, so I tried not to be angry with him.
"I feared that my new master would be terrible, and when I was taken to the auction in Glordienn, I was bought by a rich stranger I'd never seen before. He wore a hooded cloak, and as soon as he bought me he told me that I was free, all the while not showing his face. He said he was a wealthy merchant who inherited most of his money and spent it freeing what enslaved people of Ethoes he could. He gave me a job on one of his merchant ships and I spent a few years at sea, saving what money I earned to set my family free.
"After those few years, I returned to Oescienne to find safer work here. My benefactor wished me luck and told me there was a city to the west of Glordienn called Kiniahn Kroi where I could find work as a house servant and make a decent wage. So here I am, no longer a slave and eternally grateful to the man who gave me the means to free my family."
Jahrra felt her spirit suddenly lifted by Lahnehn's story. She always despised the slave traders and the slave market, but she was glad to hear this story of hope. She also felt strangely disturbed by the story. As soon as Lahnehn had spoken of a hooded figure that had liberated him from slavery, she immediately thought of the stranger that had so often entered her dreams. Could this be the same man? Was she somehow connected to a freedom defender?
The eager questions of her two friends pushed Jahrra's secret thoughts to the back of her mind.
"Was the man who rescued you another Nesnan, or Resai? Ooooh, maybe he's a rich elfin king from the east!" Gieaun clapped her hands excitedly, her green eyes bright with delight.
"I don't know for sure," Lahnehn answered, mussing his black hair with his free hand. "He never told me his name, and I never saw him without his hood on. Now that you mention it though, he did act as an elf would."
"How does an elf act exactly?" asked Scede seriously, setting his empty plate down on the windowsill, its dull clink against stone having no effect on the kitchen's simmering bustle.
"Well," Lahnehn mused, mimicking Scede's action with his own dish, "this man stood in a rather dignified manner without coming off as smug. He never spoke unnecessarily and he had an aura of class that can only be natural, not learned."
Scede nodded his head, apparently accepting this answer as satisfactory.
After some more discussion of whom the mysterious liberator was ("Maybe a Nephaarene!" Gieaun squealed excitedly. "Why else would he hide his head in a foreign land?"), a bell was rung signaling the end of the banquet. Lahnehn and the three children had been so absorbed in conversation that they'd missed the hectic run of dinner to the upper levels and were now invited to take some dessert. Lahnehn rose and picked up one of the small pies and carried it over to the windowsill. He then grabbed four plates and some spare forks and the new friends happily delved into the fruit filled pastry.
As they ate, the cooks and servants began cleaning up the kitchen, recruiting the help of Jahrra, Gieaun, Scede and Lahnehn when the pie was gone. They splashed happily in the hot, soapy water as they were handed plates, bowls and utensils to wash and rinse. The cleaning only took about a half hour and as they were finishing up, the music suddenly grew louder upstairs signaling to the party goers it was time for dancing.
"That's the signal for our party to begin, too," said Lahnehn, winking once again as he disappeared through one of the doors beside the sink.
He returned a few minutes later with a banjo. Another male servant left and returned with a fiddle. One of the women pulled a harmonica from her apron and another pulled out a flute. The group of musicians grabbed wooden stools and climbed atop a section of raised stone floor that was situated against the back wall. Everyone gathered together and lifted and carried the large tables to the sides of the room, clapping cheerfully once the instruments began peeling out a festive tune.
Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede climbed up onto one of the tables and began dancing with many of the maids and cooks. Even the reserved-looking butler replaced his serious scowl with a genuine grin as he leapt and jumped to the tune. The dying firelight from the ovens and the low glow of the candle-lined walls gave off just enough brightness to see everyone's cheery faces. Soon the whole room was dancing and clapping, thoroughly enjoying the rhythm of the banjo, fiddle, flute and harmonica.
Once everybody had worn themselves out from the merriment, the adults took turns telling stories. Gieaun, Scede and Jahrra returned to their windowsill lookout and, quite exhausted, lay down to rest as the tales were shared. Lahnehn put down his fiddle and fetched mugs of cocoa and cream for the children, pulling his stool up against the wall to listen to the folktales with them.
Gradually, the oven fires turned to smoldering coals and the atmosphere became much more inviting for the legends of lore. The maids and servants repeated accounts of faeries and magic from years past, while others told simple tales of good deeds and rewards. Some of the servants spoke of witches and goblins that roamed about during the winter time, often turning children stone cold as they slept in their warm beds.
Jahrra especially liked the tales about the pleasant spirits. These good spirits, or sephyres, showed themselves on Solsticetide Eve only if there was a full moon that night. They slept in the depths of the earth and were awoken when a portal, created by the light of the full moon casting a shadow behind a stone, opened to them. They brought good tidings and luck, and if anyone were fortunate enough to capture one or find one that was unable to make it back to their portal before moonset, they could keep it as a pet until the next full moon on Solstice Eve.
Jahrra listened in wonder as the storyteller described how a lost sephyre would take the guise of a white cat with rusty colored ears, paws and tail, and with eyes the color of deep amethyst. The sephyre would keep its finder free of misfortune for as long as the creature stayed in the mortal world.
Gieaun closed her eyes and donned a mystical smile, giving Jahrra a sudden, sneaking suspicion of what her friend wanted for Solsticetide. Jahrra herself imagined what it would be like to have a sephyre and wondered how it would help her evade Eydeth and Ellysian at school. She smiled once more and yawned, suddenly realizing just how tired she'd become since the festivities began. She grinned ironically as she recalled the unlikely day, the warm, comfortable room forcing her eyelids to droop.
She would've done anything to skip this ill-fated party, and up until the point that Lahnehn brought her into the kitchen, dripping and freezing miserably from Eydeth's attack, she'd held firmly to this opinion. Now she wished the night would never end. She smiled to herself as she finally gave in to the waves of drowsiness, imagining the faeries of the frost and the shadowy forms of sephyres dancing around her head.
It only seemed a second later when Jahrra was suddenly woken by a distantly familiar voice, "Jahrra, Gieaun, Scede, it's time for you to go now. The party's over upstairs and your classmates are returning home."
Jahrra tried to blink the sleep from her eyes as she looked up at Lahnehn. He was smiling but he looked tired from the celebration the night before. Jahrra sat up, feeling stiff and sore and suddenly remembered the ordeal from the day before. A wave of guilty dread flooded over her, but she shook it off as Gieaun and Scede slowly rose from their window perch. The early morning sun streamed through the windows, painting the empty kitchen with golden bars of light. Jahrra peeked out through the warped glass. The day looked very cold and the ground was coated with a layer of fresh, white frost.
"Uhhgh, did we sleep in?" Scede moaned, rubbing the back of his neck and fighting to keep his eyes open.
"Oh no, I made sure that you were up on time," Lahnehn responded. "We servants must be up early to tend to the masters and their guests." Lahnehn made a small face that forced Jahrra to stifle a giggle.
Mrs. Addie came bursting in through the door leading from the women's quarters. Jahrra, Gieaun, Scede and Lahnehn all jumped around, thoroughly surprised by the sudden spout of energy.
"Ohh!" she yelped. "Wha' are you children still doin' en here? The carriages are all lined up! Here young'n, quickly, get into your dress things, they're dry an' good as new."
Mrs. Addie quickly led Jahrra through the doors to the women's quarters and she was back in five minutes time, dressed in her clothes from the night before. They didn't look as bad as she'd imagined, but it was still obvious she'd been climbing up muddy walls in them. She looked warily to Gieaun and Scede, who'd climbed down from the windowsill in their own wrinkled clothing, but they just shrugged. Oh great, I can't wait to get back home. I think I'd rather stay here under the wrath of the twins then have to tell Master Hroombra what happened, Jahrra thought miserably as Mrs. Addie and Lahnehn hurried them up the stairs.
The two servants led them into the main entrance hall and wove them between couches draped with snoozing patrons from the night before. They managed to get through the front doors without too much trouble, but Jahrra suppressed a shiver of unease once there. The entire class was lined up outside, small groups climbing into each white carriage as they pulled up. No one seemed to notice the three friends and the young man and older woman who accompanied them, that is, everyone except Eydeth and Ellysian.
The twins stood at the top of the arched staircase, right beside the door they had just stepped through. As the three friends approached, the twins turned and looked at Jahrra. No, glared. Eydeth's stare was almost frightening and Ellysian's was poisonous.
Jahrra didn't let it get to her, however, and as she walked past the two children she turned and said, with an amount of bravado that surprised even her, "Thank you so much for a lovely evening. I don't think I've ever had such a great time before."
She smiled, gave a rough curtsey and even stifled a laugh when she saw the look of shock on both the twins' faces. She could feel Gieaun and Scede tense up next to her, but when she looked back, Mrs. Addie appeared rather smug and Lahnehn looked as if he'd just heard a particularly intriguing bit of gossip.
Jahrra and her friends were lucky once again to get the last carriage all to themselves. They waved goodbye to Lahnehn and Mrs. Addie, and told them, if by any stroke of luck they were invited back, they would be sure to come. As the caravan passed down the great drive and through the gates of the estate, the sun was just peering past the northern ridge of the canyon.
The morning was freezing, but the three companions were still glowing with the excitement from the night before. It had been wonderful, after all, and it was finally Solsticetide. Later on they would be enjoying the company of their families while exchanging the gifts of the season.
Jahrra used the long ride back to dream about the festivities to come. She'd made a bracelet out of shells for Gieaun and had finished an illustrated book of local birds for Scede, leaving many blank pages for him to add more. She'd crafted a cover out of dried fall leaves for the book and had spent months collecting the shells for Gieaun's bracelet.
For her friends' parents, she'd collected winterberries and made them into pies, a difficult thing to do when all she had to cook them in was the great fireplace in the Castle Guard Ruin. For Hroombra, she'd saved up old pieces of cloth all year to fashion a massive cushion for him to rest his forelegs on as he studied his documents and maps at the great desk in his study or by the fireplace. Gieaun and Scede had helped her with this, and it had taken her all year to finish.
Jahrra felt gloomy once again as she thought about Hroombra. She decided it would be better if she didn't tell him what really happened. She didn't want him to worry about how bad Eydeth and Ellysian had become; she felt that she could handle it on her own. She sighed and allowed herself to be distracted by the beautiful spectacle of Kiniahn Kroi on Solsticetide.
"I never thought I'd be saying this," she said aloud after some time, "but I wish we could've stayed longer."
Gieaun and Scede nodded in agreement and soon started talking enthusiastically about all that had happened as the glistening city of Kiniahn Kroi disappeared into the distance.
The rest of the day passed as pleasantly as if the accident in the canyon hadn't happened at all. Hroombra, Nuhra and Kaihmen all accepted Jahrra's invented story of a slip into the creek while chasing after a frog. It helped that Gieaun and Scede backed her up.
After getting everyone settled into the Castle Guard Ruin, the girls got to work helping Nuhra prepare honeyed bread, potato cheese soup, herbed pork and winterberry salad. Scede and Kaihmen, with a little help from Hroombra, got the fire started and dragged blankets, pillows and old chairs into the main room. Later, Kaihmen pulled out his flute and played a few holiday songs.
As the food roasted, baked and simmered, the gifts were passed around. Hroombra loved his patchwork cushion, Gieaun adored her shell bracelet and Scede his book, and Kaihmen and Nuhra insisted on adding their pies to the upcoming feast. Jahrra was thrilled with the bulbs and seeds her friends gave her and cherished the small, brass telescope from Hroombra. After exchanging gifts the feast was ready, and once the children, adults and dragon were fed and lazing on the many layers of thick blankets, Hroombra began his traditional Solstice tale.
Jahrra, Gieaun and Scede snuggled deeply into their quilt mattress as Hroombra took his place next to the giant fireplace. The logs had burned down to giant coals and the flames were no longer a crackling yellow but a whispering deep orange. Nuhra passed fragrant hot cider to the children and then carried away two cups for herself and Kaihmen, joining him on a chair against the western wall. The shadows cast by the fire made Hroombra look like a statue, and as he drew breath to start his tale, Jahrra could've sworn the flames of the fire danced higher for just a wink of time.
This year's tale was about the creation of the Great Rhiimian Gorge, a huge canyon that cut through the middle of the Norwester continent. Hroombra explained to his listeners that the Samenbi Desert once stretched from the western edge of the Aandhoul Plain to the eastern reaches of Terre Moeserre, before the gorge came to be.
Jahrra listened, eyes wide with wonder, as the Korli dragon described the stubborn dwarves of Doribas who risked everything to keep their treasure out of the hands of an evil king, hiding their gold and jewels in the great lake below their mines. She gasped when the king discovered their trick and broke the dam holding back the lake.
Scede clapped his hands over his gaping mouth when Hroombra described how the water spilled southward, taking the sunken treasure with it across the great desert as it cut a gash into the earth. Gieaun even whimpered slightly when they learned that the treasure eventually became the cursed gold dust dunes of Ehrann.
At the end of the tale the three children lay silent and still, allowing the tragic story to soak in. The king never got his hands on the coveted treasure, but the elves had lost everything in the process. The story made Jahrra think of what had happened with Eydeth. If she hadn't been so stubborn, if she'd only realized that Eydeth was baiting her, she would've left Kiniahn Kroi unscathed. Oh well, she thought with a mental sigh, I won't let it happen again.
Hroombra eventually broke the silence by offering to show everyone a map of Ethoes. Gieaun, Jahrra and Scede jumped at the idea and eagerly pored over the parchment the dragon unrolled in front of them. It was in the common language, Jahrra noticed; not a single letter of Kruelt in sight. She immediately pointed out the gorge to her friends.
Hroombra gazed down upon the three young children, all looking enchanted in the soft glow of the firelight. The great dragon smiled and breathed out a small laugh, enjoying their innocence for a moment, if only for a moment. These young ones knew nothing of the world that surrounded them, nothing at all, but he was almost glad of it.
Solsticetide evening carried on this way for a few more hours, with the children making up their own adventures across the map of Ethoes and the adults sitting back and reading or simply enjoying the peace. Jahrra brought out the maps she was working on and Gieaun and Scede happily started their own, Scede copying them down in the book Jahrra had given him.
In two days she'll be eleven. Hroombra sighed inwardly as he rested like a great guard dog by the fire. It seemed just yesterday Jahrra was a squirming little creature enveloped in cloth, and now, now she was only a few years away from becoming the distinguished young woman she was destined to be.
Hroombra shivered, grimacing at the thought of Jahrra growing up. The older she got, the sooner he would have to let her go. No, I won't think of it that way. She'll not be lost, the old dragon sternly told himself.
Outside the Ruin in the nearby wood an owl hooted across the clear, frozen, endless night. The stars stood witness to this scene, where a dragon once again taught the children of men and elves, and where Hroombra secretly hoped that Ethoes herself was watching as well.