“Um…Aailaine? Aailaine, it’s time to wake.” A soft voice roused Aailaine, and she sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She ran her fingers through the cool earth and stood, stretching out her sore limbs. She looked at the opening of the tent to find that a bucket and washcloth had been left for her, as well as a small bundle of clothing. Sluggishly, she undid her rumpled braid and undressed from her filthy clothing, dumping the cold water over herself. She shivered, reaching for the cloth and washing herself down as quickly as she could.
As she waited to dry, she inspected the clothing brought for her. The green shirt was short-sleeved, a gold band encircling the sleeve and the neckline was V-shaped and loose, making the shirt more breathable. A pair of brown knee-length pants lay underneath the shirt which laced up the side, allowing her to adjust how tightly they fit. And finally, there was a pair of sturdy leather boots; at first they appeared similar to her old boots, until she noticed that the leather felt different.
As Aailaine began to dress, she noticed a smaller stack of clothing underneath that she had missed. In the smaller bundle was a pair of brown gloves with a green band around the ends and the right-handed glove covered all her fingers except her pinkie and ring finger whereas the left glove only covered her thumb. As she pulled them on, she realized that the gloves were to protect her fingers from cutting on the bowstring.
The last article of clothing was a half-skirt, which sat low on her hips once she settled it on her waist. It was a lighter green than her shirt and sat just right so that it would protect her skin from the quiver’s strap. She quickly set the skirt and attached her quiver to her waist.
She picked up the black bow from the ground and, removing a single arrow, drew it back carefully. The bow’s belly and back bent, allowing the nocks to move ever so slightly. The fletching touched her lips and the soft feathers moved under her breath as Aailaine focused. She closed her eyes as she held the arrow ready, breathing carefully.
For a moment, everything around Aailaine disappeared and she could feel the runes pulsing on the grip underneath her hand. She could feel the bow and arrow as if they were extensions of her own body rather than foreign objects and the wood breathed with her, bending and moving as she drew in breath and released it.
“Aai-” Sirix’s voice surprised Aailaine and in her surprise she released the arrow, the string release a quiet “twang” as it relaxed. Sirix moved her head slightly and the arrow went flying by her, barely bothered by the projectile. Aailaine stepped out of the tent as Sirix turned, and both women watched as the arrow buried itself deep inside a pole the trolls had set up to mark their land.
“Well, I see being without a bow has not dampened your talent.” Sirix remarked, turning to Aailaine, who sighed with relief before looking at the dragon woman. Sirix still watched the girl with her unnerving gaze, although Aailaine thought she noticed a touch of warmness. “Have you made your decision, Aailaine?”
Aailaine paused, reaching for her amulet. Upon realizing she had failed to put it back on, she rushed back into the tent and grabbed the trinket. Its pure white stone shone in the bright morning light and the mo’qire seemed to wink its red eyes at her. Sirix’s eyes widened as Aailaine slipped the cord over her head, but she said nothing as Aailaine turned to face her.
“I…I’ll do it, Sirix. I’ll go to Exla.” Aailaine spoke softly but with conviction as she held the necklace in her hand. Sirix smiled softly and placed her scaly hands on Aailaine’s shoulder.
“Then I thank you, Aailaine, on behalf of the world you will save.” Sirix smiled brightly, squeezing the girl in her grip. “As I said last night, you will need to make it to the forests of Hirie and visit the elves. However, I would suggest you stop in Lanol, get a large pack if you can, and find a guide. There are plenty of beings that travel around a lot and know about the world.
“You can likely find one who would be willing to help you. So, walk straight from this camp and follow that road. However, you still must be careful.” Sirix pointed Aailaine toward the beaten path in the grass. “As I’m sure Hvidr told you, not many races know of deep-dwellers. It would be a dead giveaway to anyone who means to do you harm if you mention you’re from the Tolsan. Say you are from a family of plainsfolk that lived with these trolls. It’s a common occurrence in the plains.”
Sirix smiled and handed Aailaine a piece of paper. Written on it were several different names and Aailaine looked at her questioningly. Sirix laughed slightly, running her finger down the paper.
“Here is a list of last names you can use as your own, all of which are from plainsfolk origin.” Sirix explained, her laughter fading. “Choose one you like and use it when you introduce yourself or buy anything. Remember, never tell anyone your true origins.”
Aailaine nodded and tucked the paper away just as a huge gust of wind forced her to take a couple of steps back. When she turned to face Sirix again, the dragon woman was gone. A large shadow passed over her and she watched as Sirix finished shifting and flew toward the peaks of the Tolsan. Aailaine was more than a little disappointed to see her leave so quickly; she had wanted to ask Sirix more about her mother. As her Vuiej, Aailaine had hoped that the dragon woman would be more willing to talk about Kleia than Rfkr had been.
She watched until she could see no more, then turned back to see a woman her height looking at her. The woman’s skin was a light caramel and her dark hair was pulled into a neat bun as she smiled softly.
“If you are ready, we have some food for you to take with you on your journey.” The woman spoke softly, handing Aailaine a large backpack. “It is our gift, our way of thanking you for accepting this quest.”
Aailaine graciously accepted the gift and settled the pack on her back, attempting to hide her flushing face. She began to walk past the woman, who spoke again and caused the young girl to pause. “Also, we…we would be honored if you would eat with us before you left.”
“I…I would like that.” As Aailaine followed the woman, she took a chance to look around the small farm. In the darkness and confusion of the night, she had failed to get a good look around the land, but now she noticed the fields that seemed to stretch indefinitely, as well as some pens she assumed were for animal keeping. They passed several wooden huts, some obviously too small for the trolls, and Aailaine assumed that humans, like the woman who led her, must have lived in them. It also seemed that the human huts were square in shape, while the troll homes were more rounded. The one structure that stuck out the most was a long cabin, easily the largest structure on the farm and it was this building that the woman led her to.
The woman held open the door and Aailaine stepped inside to find the group of trolls that she had seen the night before seated around a large feast, along with a scattered number of humans that appeared similar to the woman who had brought her to the hall. On its walls hung colored mats of every hue and pelts of animals that Aailaine didn’t recognize. The table sat about a meter off the ground and all present knelt on pillows next to the table. The pillows seemed to be the same height for almost all the guests, with the exception of a troll and a human who sat at the head of the table. Aailaine recognized the troll as the one that had found her the night before and assumed he must be the head of the farm.
The man next to the troll waved her over and the woman gently nudged her. Slowly and nervously, Aailaine made her way to her seat and set her belongings on the floor behind her. She carefully knelt on the pillow and was surprised by how firm it was.
“We hold this feast in celebration of the great harvest we’re due to have this cycle, as well to celebrate Aailaine, the one who will save us all.” The head troll spoke and the male plainsfolk lifted up a bowl filled with a sweet-smelling drink, which he offered to Aailaine. Aailaine brought the bowl to her lips gingerly, taking in the scent of the drink. When the first drop reached her lips, she recognized it as a wine, although it was very different from the smibi Rfkr had made. As she sipped from the bowl, the man began to speak.
“Let us thoroughly enjoy this feast given to us by Orassul and enjoy the company we have.” Aailaine passed the bowl to the troll to her right, who took a sip as well. Once the bowl had made a complete circle around the group, the host began to feast. Aailaine ate little, merely nibbling on the food before her. The man next to her took notice and spoke to her softly.
“Does something trouble you, Aailaine? Is this too foreign for you?” He touched her gingerly, and Aailaine looked up from her food at him. His green eyes watched her with concern and she sighed, glancing down again. “I’m sure we have something more similar to what you’re used to.”
“No, the food is just fine. It’s just…I’ve never been treated with so much kindness by humans. Where...” Aailaine paused, thinking back to her home in the mountains. “Where I come from, I was ostracized by the other humans because of how strange I look. It’s…strange to be so accepted instead of judged.”
“It’s something you get used to when you live in the plains. The humans you knew were very close-minded.” The man smiled at her and heaped a larger portion of food onto her plate. The woman next to him hit his shoulder, lightly chastising him. Aailaine watched him as he shook her off and looked up to the roof of the dwelling. “Out here, especially since many people travel through the plains, you often see many strange people wandering around. I’m sure as you travel around, you will see stranger than what we see here on our little farm.
“So, most humans won’t really judge you for how you look here, or in most places, I’d imagine.” Aailaine smiled and began to eat the food offered to her. Inside, she felt warmth that threatened to overflow.
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