77

A Gift

The act of taking off someone’s shoes, for them may seem mundane or even negligible. How could such a simple act be something of note? Is what most would think, but Slyfer finds himself oddly enraptured by it. The feeling of her ankle in his hands, the warmth and softness her skin as he slowly pulls the shoes off, gives him a strange feeling. It somehow feels caring beyond most things he has done in his life. Seeing her pale and sensitive feet neatly placed together, causes him to smile.

Perhaps it is because one does not really look at another’s feet? It has never ever even been in his mind, why would it and because of that; taking off her shoes for her feels intimate somehow? After a few seconds her feet invert and for some reason she tries to hide her toes and in doing so makes him focus on them more. To his surprise she has six toes on each foot.

He looks up confused at her actions, but unable to ask why since they have the rules. –Is that why Trisha made up the rules? It is restricting and somehow freeing at the same time.- Her eyes are focused on him and he can see a red tinge on her cheeks. Their eyes meet and the rise and fall of her chest becomes perceptible as her breathing increases.

Slyfer slowly rises, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. He steps aside and gestures towards the picnic area. She takes dainty steps forward, her feet still burning with his touch. From a young age servants had done such a task for her, but with him it was very different to say the least.

She arranges her dress and sits down, not sure where to look. Slyfer does the same and for a moment the silence becomes awkward. It drags on until Slyfer picks up a sweet and is just about to eat when he remembers the rules. His stomach growls drawing Fira’s attention, seeing her attention is now on him he puts on his best puppy face.

She sighs exaggeratedly and takes it from his hand; however her now purple hair fails to hide her true feelings. Taking the sweet she holds it up. Slyfer looks between her and the sweet candy for a moment before leaning forward.

Fira watches him and her anger drains away at his now vulnerable looking state. Still she won’t forgive him so easily. Just as he is about to bite down she moves her hand away. Slyfer frowns and spots her looking at him from the corner of her eye. –Perhaps it was an accident?- He thinks and leans forward some more, only to have the sweet prize move out of his toothy reach at the last second.

This time he catches her smile before she can pretend to not have noticed. He raises an eyebrow and she shrugs, clearly enjoying his predicament. Placing his hands behind him, he leans back onto them and regards her with narrowed eyes.

Her smile widens and she shakes the sweet from side to side. He looks away and at the meat platter pretending not to be interested while wracking his brain trying to remember what she normally ate at feasts. Perhaps if he were to use leverage…

He reaches out and pics up a thin strip of white meat. Fira’s eyes spots it and follows the meat. Slyfer smiles and mimics her by shaking it the way she had the sweet.

Her eyes narrow at him.

He smirks.

They are at an impasse.

She holds up her hand, showing three fingers. For a moment he frowns but then understands and nods. She starts to count down and holds out the sweet, while he holds the meat. Both lean forward to receive their succulent prizes.

Her mouth reaches the prize first and before he knows it she bites down and retreats stealing the sweet back in the process. He gives her look like a baby would look at someone who stole their candy. She laughs and then stops.

The look Slyfer’s face has now can only mean one thing….

This is war.

An hour later finds Slyfer looking ragged compared to before. His hair is standing in all directions his shirt ripped and his pants torn. Fira looks far worse though.

Smiling down at his foody adversary Slyfer takes the last piece of meat and places it gently in Fira’s mouth. She bites down, while still heaving for breath and swallows before smiling mischievously. “Are you going to get off of me know?”

Slyfer who had pinned down Fira smirks and says. “I don’t know, I am still deciding.”

She pushes against his chest although half-heartedly. “Well please decide quickly because your belt is digging into my stomach.”

She can’t be sure, but she can swear she saw him blush before he jumps up and clears his throat. “Right, sorry.”

For moment longer she remains as is before sitting up slowly, a part of her missing his warmth.

He sits down again facing her and feeling a loss. If anything they had shared a moment of truth, where they had no means of hiding their feelings behind words. Words can be so misleading even if it is not intentional. The way someone perceives your words can lead to misunderstandings, which can lead to all kinds of troubles.

He looks at her as she tries to make herself more presentable. He watches the way she moves, he had noticed so much more due to not being able to speak. –Due to Trisha taking away our words she forced us to notice and in doing so I have learned a lot more about Fira. Was that Trisha’s intention?-

On impulse and half thinking aloud he says. “I like it when your hair hangs over your shoulder like that.”

Fira freezes. –Did he just? Yes he did.- To her knowledge Slyfer had never commented on anyone’s appearance. She can’t be sure of course, but she had never heard him do so. She had been combing her hair with her fingers to fix it and to make it easier she threw it over her shoulder, but now…

She runs her hands through it a few more times and then leaves it where it is with a smile, only to notice Slyfer is in his own little world.

She reaches out and touches his hand. His eyes flicker and he looks at her apologetically. “Sorry I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” She asks, not moving her hand.

He runs his other hand through his hair, part of him afraid to say what he was thinking about, but the other part sees no other way forward. He looks at her and takes the hand on top of his, holding it gently. “I was thinking about how easy and simple it was to communicate without speaking, compared to how we usually are when we actually talk.”

Fira frowns and looks down at his hand holding hers. “I know what you mean, but things are usually more complicated than a hand gesture or eyebrow can convey.” She falls quiet and the silence is deafening.

Both look up and start to talk at the same time.

“I..”

“Look…”

Both fall quiet at the same time, but Slyfer gestures for Fira to continue.

She sighs and starts talking. “Look I am sorry, I know I can be difficult-“

Slyfer interrupts. “No, I am the one that should be sorry. I was unfair to you and-“

She interrupts. “Let me finish.”

Slyfer stops and nods to her to continue.

“I know I can be difficult and the way things started out was not exactly… ideal.” Slyfer watches as she winces and looks away with shame at the last word.

Slyfer takes her chin in his hand. “You were looking out for your own people. I have been naïve and because of that I have caused many people pain. I made stupid decisions that caused more harm than good. I come from a place where my best source of conversation was a flying monkey, because Skymother knows Master Aldowin can’t talk about anything but the sword.” She smiles briefly at the joke only to see Slyfer is dead serious. “Forcing you to make a choice may have been one of them, I am not sure yet. What I am sure of is that you chose me.”

His dragon part starts to squirm a little as he thinks of his next words. “I apologize if you felt like I did not except the gift of your trust and sacrifice, but that was not my intention at all. I want you by your father’s side because we plan on handing the protection of the supply lines to the Dark Elves and we will need someone we can trust from MY side to be in control of it.”

She had watched as his demeanour changed from open and honest to stoic and uncompromising. He lets out a breath and visibly relaxes. “It is not because I don’t trust you that I don’t want you by my side but because I can. Trisha is a gifted fighter and I do not think she is stupid, but she has not been brought up in politics like you have. Even I would not be suited to the task I am barely suited to lead in a battle let alone something so important.” He sits back and fiddles with his sleeve. “That is why I chose you, no not only me but Jade as well.”

Fira regards him for a moment. What he had said made sense and makes her feel better, however knowing he will be fighting on the front lines while she is stuck behind it grates on her pride and nerves.

Pushing that aside she cant help but ask. “Why choose the dark elves to control the supplies?”

Slyfer shrugs and says as if it’s self-explanatory. “Because of the wolves, no one else is as mobile. The tigers are mostly lazy and don’t have the same stamina the wolves do.”

Fira nods accepting the explanation. “Why not let Grey King handle it then?”

Slyfer raises and eyebrow at her and she sighs. “You are right, the enmity and mistrust between the wolves and elves won’t just disappear many won’t accept that.” She bites her lip, an action that draws Slyfer’s eyes to it like a moth to a flame. Seeing it she smiles, trying to tease him for being caught staring.

Instead he smiles back confidently. –He has changed, he is not so innocent anymore…- She thinks and then she remembers that he has Trisha and that they have… She abruptly pushes the thought aside. -How would it be to be in a relationship with a man that likes someone else as well? How would it work, what would the arrangement be?-

Seeing her face change from a smile to a frown causes Slyfer to do the same. He stops his mind from wondering and making assumptions, deciding to instead wait for her to say what is bothering her.

She finally does. “How does Trisha feel about, about us?”

Slyfer sighs. “Honestly, I think it bothers her sometimes but she told me she had made peace with it the day she came to my tent while I was in… that situation.” He scratches his cheek and looks at the sky with the last words. Clenching his hand Slyfer looks at her. “I know in your culture it is not normal to be in a situation like this and I can feel how it bothers you, but the truth is I can’t choose nor will I. I want you both by my side. It’s not like planned for it to happen it just did. Besides that, is our connection. Over the last week I have been thinking about it a lot and it has become obvious that the connection goes beyond just our feelings but our powers as well. When I am not with you it feels like something is missing, a part of my power or maybe it’s yours that I can draw on? My point is we are stronger together.”

Fira at first had a frown as the words seemed to spill from Slyfer, but looking around her she can see Trisha cares for her and Slyfer. –She wants to make it work, despite how she may feel she gave me this opportunity now its up to me to take it or not.- She finds herself thinking. Slyfer continues to ramble on until Fira puts her hand on his shoulder and out of the blue pulls him closer and plants her lips on his.

At first surprised Slyfer does not react but he soon reciprocates turning the one sided ambush into a passionate kiss. Fira breaks it and sits back regarding him for a moment. He smiles, “I did not think that you would-“

She interrupts him. “- That I would accept things? At first I did not want to, but look around us Slyfer. This was planned and done by Trisha. I do not know what the future holds or how things will work what I do know is that I have not felt how I feel for anyone accept you and Trisha has accepted me. I know it goes against tradition, but our ways are not yours. Trisha is obviously willing to try this, so I am as well just-“ She looks down at her hands and then up meeting his rather nervous gaze. “-Just take things slow with me.”

He nods.

*****

The next morning finds Trisha sneaking up to the top of the tower before daybreak. She may already be late to meet up with the troops that are leaving to train but the nervousness in her heart has forced her to come take a peek at what her plan had accomplished.

The closer she gets the more she can feel what the other two are. At first she cant place the feelings but when she reaches the top and spots the two soundly sleeping in each others arms she knows what it is. Its contentment its how she feels when in Slyfer’s embrace for a moment her heart fills with longing to join them and she is surprised that its THEM and not just Slyfer, but she soon realises why. She may have felt content in his embrace whenever she slept like Fira is now, but something was missing. Like an ache in the back of her mind. it made her restless in his arms sometimes causing her to wake up with anxiety. Turning around she finally realises what it was. It was Fira.

Just like she can feel Fira, Fira can feel her and in doing so she knew what she was missing out on. This caused the feelings to reach out and affect Trisha as well. Slyfer seems to be less sensitive to their bond so he may not have felt it as strongly as Trisha, but it did bother him while he was awake… that much was obvious.

Feeling eyes on her back Trisha turns around to find a sleepy Fira regarding her. She smiles and faintly waves while Fira mouths a silent thank you. Then turning around Trisha balls her fists. She has training to do, warriors to lead but first she has to win their respect.

Seeing Trisha disappear Fira turns to Slyfer soundly sleeping next to her. She plants a kiss on his cheek and lays back down while just looking at him for no reason other than just to look and burn the memory of this moment into her mind.

******

Unbeknownst to the trio someone has already been training. A silver haired girl flitting through the forest comes to a standstill seemingly melting into the shadow of a tree. Luna has been doing this ever since they got back. Serena’s first lesson was that a dragon needs a strong mate and because of that. When her master reappeared she did not alert anyone but rather stayed silent and accepted his wish of continuing her training. In return she would bring him food and news.

When he heard about what happened to the shaman he simply nodded but Luna saw something die in his eyes. To her it was like a beast losing its fangs and claws.

In the shadows her eyes dart around to find anything out of place. She can feel danger coming the hair on the back of her neck standing up with impending doom.

The forest is quiet not a sound can be heard almost eerily so. Then as if the shadow she is hiding in becomes alive a dark hand holding a blade slides around her neck.

She sighs and steps away before turning around. “You caught Luna again.”

The shadow moves and soon turns into an elf. “I have told you many times before, trust your instincts. I saw the hair raise on your neck why did you not react?”

Luna shakes her head. “Luna did not know what to react to, so how can Luna react?”

The man walks forward. “in battle you won’t always see your enemy or know he is there, you wont always know what they are capable of or what their purposes are, but you can never stop anticipating, never stop acting, thinking and analysing. Even when you don’t know what to expect never stop.

Luna nods.

The man regards her for a moment and then gestures for her to follow. “Now let’s start training your magic absorption again by the time we are finished with your training you will be the best mage assassin the world has ever known.”

******

Cresha watches the sun rise in the distance while dreading the day to come. Never had she felt so bruised in her life. The women around her all carry the same look… and bruises. Aldowin had them beat each other the whole day, training their innate strengthening and defence magic to the point where they were struggling to walk today. More Dryads would be arriving today to receive the same training with the rest of them.

She had seen Trisha leave with others while most were still asleep. She had also seen Aldowin with them and for a moment she had hoped he would leave too, but the devil elf had not. Instead he had turned to her as if he had known she was there the whole time and smiled. Thinking back to yesterday and how she had almost died causes her breathing to quicken along with the feeling that she needs to become stronger. If Slyfer was not there….

Unknow to her, her tail reflects her feelings and the bushy tail becomes bushier. –I need to get stronger, I saw what Slyfer can do and I now know what Fira is capable of and Trisha gives me an even bigger sense of danger. Then there is Luna… I have no idea what to think of her yet, but judging by what happened yesterday she is by no means average.-

“Daughter, already awake I see.”

Hearing her mother’s voice she turns around and nods in greeting.

“You seem troubled?”

Cresha shrugs, but seeing the look her mother is giving her she knows there is no way out without an explanation. “I am worried mother. Yesterday I nearly died and the truth is I would not have been able to do anything about it. I have come to realise that despite our claims to have gone through a lot we have lived relatively sheltered lives.”

Her mother frowns, but before she can object Cresha raises her hand.

“Think about it mother the Dark Elves fought the wolves. High Elves like Aldowin went up against the the humans and the Snow Elves were stuck in a long war against the Wood Elves. They have fought and grown in those times yet we have remained the same. When war came we lost everything and blamed the dragons yet we did nothing except move somewhere else and now our new home is in danger, if what Slyfer says is true. I fear for our people, we have always avoided danger yet now we are running right into it. We have not fought in areas other than forests, we have not battled mounted armies or flying griffins.” She looks at the training Dark and High elves. “We are not experienced in war.”

A familiar voice interrupts her. “That is why I am here.”

She turns around to regard the Elven swordmaster and shakes her head. “Forgive me Master Aldowin but I do not think beating each other will prepare us for what is coming.”

Aldowin smiles at her. “I don’t think anything we do can prepare us for what is coming. Even though we have fought in wars the elves have also remained unchanged and stuck to their ways. Among all the races the humans have shown the largest growth despite their short lives. Things are changing now though. The Dark Elf prince has already designed a few new weapons and we are currently trying to replicate a weapon used on my student a while ago. That is merely a drop in the ocean but it gives me hope.”

Mother and daughter frown at Aldowin and ask at the same time. “Hope for what?”

Aldowin looks towards the tower basking in the rays of the rising sun. “Hope that we can change for the better. Hope that our people can grow and set aside their differences in order to defeat our foes.”

********

Slyfer stirs awake and spots the now purple haired Dark Elf staring at him. “You know its not polite to stare or so I am told.”

She smiles. “I was not staring, but simply… observing.”

He closes one eye against the morning glare of the sun. “Observing what exactly?”

She shrugs and then nearly whispers. “You.”

He takes her hand and kisses it. “Thank you for last night.”

She frowns and runs her hand through his hair enjoying the sleepy look on his face. “You mean that. I…. uhh mean you are used to more with Trisha, we just cuddled the whole night.”

Stifling a yawn he looks at her. “My relationship with Trisha may be more physical and that is good and fun.”

Fira’s face falls a little.

“But I have learned a relationship with a woman is about more than just that. I am not claiming to be all knowing in fact I think I know less about these things than most people my age, but what I am learning and will become better at it, I have to.”

Fira kisses him on the cheek and asks with a smile. “Why do you have to?”

He gives her his best charming smile. “Because I like you so much.”

The comment wins him an even bigger smile from her and she snuggles in close. “Where do we go from here?” She asks after a moment of silence.

Slyfer sighs. “Well, first we need to win a war against forces far stronger than our own then fighting abominations, traitors and a huge black dragon that may or may not be a god. After that the world is ours.”

It takes a moment for his words to sink in. “A god?”

He nods, his face set in a worried frown as everything feels like its about to overwhelm him.

A poke on his forehead brings his attention back to the girl in his arms. “Stop that.” Says Fira with a pout. “Can we… just enjoy this gift for now?”

Slyfer looks at her and asks with a bit of amusement. “Gift?”

She nods, her head resting against his chest. “Yes, last night… now, I feel like everything that happened was a gift from Trisha.”

Slyfer kisses her on her head and stads up smiling. “I guess you are right.”

Fira is about to reply when she notices something. -He does not have a belt on?-