The approximate 9-mile ride to Auntie Mabel’s was uneventful albeit beautiful. The forest bordering Azuren and the neighbouring state of Hallr had a slightly magical feel about it. The trees seemed to twinkle in both the sun and moonlight, the animals tended to be a bit larger and more intelligent than normal, and the fact that their aunt had decided here of all places to build her hut confirmed to Sylvie that there must be something special about it.

Cato and Diella’s coat had a slight sweat shimmer, - the forest had the right amount of shade, but it was the hottest time of the day to be riding. Cato had led in smooth trot; him and Diella rode well together. The 90 minutes had gone by quickly, he also loved this forest, minus the huge spider web he had broken through. Sylvie, for whatever reason, couldn’t communicate with arachnids, even though she could speak with insects. They had discussed the potential reason behind this many times but never found an appropriate answer.

“Na ja, seid ihr endlich da?!” croaked Auntie Mabel.

“Mother of gods, help me” muttered Sylvie under her breath. Blanca simply smiled and waved to their little aunt.

Unlike their father, Auntie Mabel was short and stout. She did have the scary ice blue eyes, but her hair was the colour of pure silver, so it didn’t look as extreme as by Fergus. She chose to live in a hut, or rather, The Hut, because it was really the crème de le crème when it comes to huts. She said she needed to be in the wilderness for her herbs and enchantments, but Sylvie always insisted it was because she was too intolerable to have any neighbours. The hut was spilt into three connected rectangle shaped houses. The two on the outside were made of wood, one was Auntie Mabel’s living quarters and the other was the most accommodating guest house. The middle part, was made of a peculiar stone and had high ceilings. That is where she created everything. Healing potions, toxins, traps, poisons, and ironically the most beautiful cakes.

Behind the three connected huts, were two large greenhouses, and a huge stone table that could seat twenty people comfortably. Seemed a bit extravagant, but their aunt was extravagant.

Blanca didn’t mind either way, she liked her Auntie, and moreover she also loved the comfort of the extensive wild gardens. The majority of her healing concoctions she had also learned here, and she was looking forward to see if she had any new rare herbs she could experiment with.

“Hello Aunt Mabel”. Sylvie was briskly rubbing Cato down.

“Well hello Sylvie, too lazy today to speak the language of your people?”

“I speak the language of my people. The cities folks are as foreign to me, as manners are perhaps to you”.

“I am your elder! I may speak however I please; I have earned it. You will never become a leader with that smug attitude”.

“When have I ever said I wanted to become a leader?! Who would want to be led by an elf?”

Avery chose that exact moment to appear, “Whom, you mean, not ‘who’, and ‘Elves’ to answer your question. Thousands of them, as matter of fact”.

Sylvie kicked the dirt, and was about to open her mouth to yell at Avery, but Auntie Mabel rushed in, “Ah come here my little fireball”, she gave Avery a big hug, “and so right you are, but I must intercede, you are all actually half-elves, I am sure there would also be many humans sympathetic to any of your causes”.

Sylvie snorted.

Avery and her aunt were the exact same height, short. But for whatever they were lacking in height they doubled with character.

Auntie Mabel’s eyes were twinkling with mischief, “So, what brings you three to visit me today?”

Blanca finally spoke up, “Well, as I am sure you are all aware, today is Sylvie’s birthday, and as her day seems to always have some adventure, there is the matter of the three dead orcs that were found a mere 10 minute ride from our home.”

No one seemed surprised at all about the matter of the orcs, as if they had all deep down known they would one day return.

Avery instantly blushed, ashamed that she had been so concentrated on the rally and smuggling food out of their house the last two days, that she hadn’t even thought to congratulate her sister. “Happy Birthday Sylvie, I haven’t had time yet to find something, but when I do it will be fabulous”, followed by the elven tradition of three kisses on the cheek.

Sylvie only nodded, but she knew Avery would keep her word.

Auntie Mabel stepped over to Sylvie, inspecting her before speaking, “Yes, today you are 26 years old. You are no longer a child. I am only hard on you” she turned looking at the other girls as well, “on all of you, because I love you girls, and this world can be a very hard place to live in. I have 2 small gifts for you.” She snapped her fingers twice, “Heru, come here, can you bring the presents for Sylvie with?”

Heru, a beautiful cheetah, purring loudly, walked towards the girls. He was a story within himself; Auntie Mabel had promised one day to tell them how she had acquired him, but until now the story was still a mystery. Their father had once told them that he was a gift from the only man Mabel had ever loved. When the girls were younger, they would giggle and make up stories about whom this mysterious suitor could have been. Avery tried once to pry into her mind, but all she found was a gaping hole with sadness… plus her aunt had caught her trying, then refused to speak to her for months.

Sylvie reached out to Heru, scratching his neck, “Hello old friend, you are more beautiful than ever, is the old lady treating you well?”

Heru’s purring got even louder, for he was vain and loved flattery, “Thank you dear Sylvie, may the Mother of Gods smile upon you, and may you find only love and beauty in your life. And, you know Mabelchen treats me well, I am the son she never was able to have.”

“What did he say?”

“No worries Aunt Mabel, he said he is very happy in your care”.

“He better be, my little prince” she gave him a big kiss, and then untied the two parcels he had carried out.

Sylvie was a little surprised, she couldn’t remember the last time her Aunt had gotten her a gift.

“I am very touched, thank you”.

“Don’t thank anyone for anything until you know what it is.”

“Aye, you are correct”.

Sylvie unwrapped the first parcel, it was a large book with a green cover and a gold binding, The Philosophy of Giants, it said in cursive.

“Uhm, well I guess it is better than a Germanish proper speaking book”.

Everyone, even Auntie Mabel, began to laugh. “My child, you will someday soon see the value of this book, until that day, Avery shall start reading it”.

Avery pretended to groan, but everyone knew she was delighted. The book would last perhaps 3 fortnights before she will have absorbed and devoured the entire text.

“And the second parcel?” asked Blanca.

Sylvie noticed the oblong shape immediately but thought to herself it couldn’t be. She excitedly ripped it open. And there, neatly tucked into one another, were 100 pure white arrows.

She stammered, “How it can it be?”

“How can what be?” Auntie Mabel said smiling.

“They are lighter than feathers, it feels as though 100 arrows are one”.

“Your father had to help me with the wood, it was a favour from an old friend of ours. The fletching is made from the Land of the Suns, far south from Azure, but it is the arrow heads that are the most exciting part.” She clasped her hands together and radiated more youthful energy than her three nieces combined. “They are hollowed out and sharpened dragon bone. The hardest substance that exists, it could even shatter a diamond chain mail…. And they are hollow for a reason”, Auntie Mabel had an evil looking smile on her face.

“Blanca, you shall spend the rest of the evening with me. Avery and Sylvie, you two can prepare dinner for once.”

Blanca looked horrified, “NO! I mean, no please stay out of my kitchen. I prepared a special dish for Sylvie’s birthday which I believe Sage would be better looking after than you two”.

Avery simply shrugged her shoulders, “As you like, but Auntie, what I am curious about is the hollowed-out bone. What is inside? And why do you need Blanca?”

“Ah ha, at last someone asks, the bone is hollow with tiny- I shall say almost invisible crevices in it, so that upon impact, something will slowly leak out of them. What I haven’t yet told you Sylvie, is there are 900 more arrows in your father’s shop. Blanca will be filling them. Today she is going to learn how to make one of the most dangerous poisons in the lands. It is called Lebam, my own sweet invention, the second the arrowhead hits the blood, it will seep into the system. It causes the blood to freeze at a temperature so cold that they feel like they are actually burning as they die.”

Sylvie couldn’t believe it; this might be her best birthday of yet. She ran over to her Aunt, and gave her a huge bear hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t wait to try them out”.

Auntie Mabel was surprised by the affection, but she beamed proudly, “these aren’t play toys Sylvie, there will come a time where you will need them. From what I heard from the old forest hermit; you might need them sooner than I had hoped. Nonetheless, you are welcome, I know you will give them their worth.”

“The hermit came to visit you?” asked Sylvie.

“Why of course, Frida is an old acquaintance of mine. She is as harmless as a dragon egg. She told me about last night and about your encounter with the legionnaires today.”

“She did?”

“Yes of course, you think you can shoot an arrow through the Colonel’s hat and that people won’t be talking about it? I think people have almost forgotten about the orcs already.”

“You did what? Sylvie are you nuts! No wonder he was oozing with hate for me at the rally.”

“You got to meet him as well? And yes, I know, I know, Cato already lectured me as well. I just got so angry”.

Auntie Mabel tsked and added, “You have got to learn to control that temper my dear. People will learn that is your weakness. And the best leaders cannot have weaknesses.”

“For the last time I do not want to be a leader!”

Blanca was shuffling nervously, “Uhm excuse me, I have something to say. I…. I am a healer; I don’t want to learn how to”, she paused, “hurt something”.

The girls had almost forgotten that Blanca was required to stay.

“Hurt something?” Auntie Mabel threw her head back and grabbed her stomach laughing. “With Lebam they will not be hurt my dear, they will be dead! And this is precisely why you must learn it. What good is a healer that cannot protect themself? You are absolutely awful with a sword, decent with Element spells, but that alone can’t save you.”

“But I am a healer! I only want to help others!”

“So naïve, like your beautiful mother, Blanca may I ask you, where are most healers?”

That comment was met with a glare from all three girls.

“I don’t understand the question.”

“Where do most healers work? Hidden in old ruins, safe in their kitchens? No, of course not! They are on the battlefields, near the clinics, often surrounded by danger, disease, and war. My point is, darling; you have to learn to protect yourself. Besides poison is brilliant for you. You can mix concoctions up in your sleep, you know your herbs better than I do, and with poison you can be far more removed from your killings.”

Avery nodded in agreement, “She is right sis. I will ride back with Sylvie, and you can take the boat!”

Sylvie was already daydreaming about her arrows but her ears perked up with the word ‘boat’, “Wait, do we have to back to the city tonight and return the boat, this will take ages.” She glanced at Blanca whose day seemed to have turned for the worst, “Okay fine, we will take the boat upstream, Cato and Diella will take you home.”

Blanca looked a little bit relieved. She walked over to the horses and handed Diella the carrot she had saved in her handkerchief and Cato the apple core. Diella snorted approvingly.

Avery was digging her fingernail into something on the stone table, “I borrowed the boat from a newly found acquaintance. I will return it to him within a few days”.

Auntie Mabel inquired, “and whom might this new acquaintance be?”

Avery bowed her head down low and mumbled, “a Legionnaire”.

“A WHAT?! Have you gone beaver crazy; the bastards threatened me with the dungeons today!”

(The beavers in Azuren really were crazy but that is a story for a different time).

“From what I heard; the Colonel threatened you with the dungeons today. Not all the Legionnaires are bad. Some of their lives and oaths are far more good-natured and honest than I have ever been. Good work Avery. Now come give your Auntie and Heru a good bye kiss, so Blanca and I can get to work. I almost forgot...” she handed over a beautiful painted pink wooden container “… just a few little cakes for after dinner. Its not fair that your dad never gains a pound”. The girls all leaned over, inside were six little round butter cakes, decorated with delicate edible flowers. Sylvie’s mouth instantly started to salivate.

After the goodbyes, Sylvie walked over to Cato and Diella and whispered, “Take good care of her you guys. I think next time she won’t be so eager to visit Auntie Mabel.”

Cato snickered, but Diella said, “enough you two. The poor girl is practically shaking in her shoes. She will ride on me and Cato will lead. If there is anything, we will instantly notify a bat; they should just be waking up.”

Sylvie nodded, “ok, that sounds good. Thanks, you two”. She gave them both a kiss on their velvety muzzles and walked over to help Avery untie the boat.

“What a lovely little boat this is” commented Sylvie.

“You should see what a lovely young man he is” laughed Avery. “I think he would be your type”.

“Now I know you have gone officially crazy. ‘Sylvie with a legionnaire’ never ever.”

Avery was still laughing, “Never is a very serious word, but we can discuss that later. Now I suggest that you row so I may start this giant book of yours unless of course you would like to start reading it out loud to me as I row?”

“Ugh, I will row”.

Going upstream was always much worse than going downstream. Avery and Sylvie held hands and whispered softly to the wind. Neither were as strong as Blanca with the elements, but this simple request almost all elves could manage. They were answered with a gentle breeze that Sylvie immediately took advantage of. They shortly bowed their heads in thanks, and received an even stronger gust.

Smiling, Avery opened the beautiful book and began, “The Philosophy of Giants….”