The Hawkstrider Part 2
What did he get me? It could be anything! His hands are over my eyes, I can smell him. He smells of the forest we had once known, of home, home that was destroyed by the scourge. Yet he would still smell of the forest. It was distinct only to him.
Athrodar
"What did you do?" I whispered back to him, trying to stop my voice trembling from the rush of feelings that hit me.
He removed his hands from my eyes, then placed them on my shoulders to keep me still. I was shivering at the excitement, but also at his touch.
What's wrong with me? It's just my brothers friend!
I was staring at him earlier, taking in his long golden hair protruding out from his hood. His well chiselled features, and how strong he looked in his Ranger attire. When he quickly glanced over to me I felt something, so I looked away quickly. It was only until my cheeks gave away a feint red blush did I realised I was feeling something for this man.
I could feel him leaning in towards my ear, saying the one word I was waiting for. "Open".
I did.
My heart flew to my throat quicker than I could think. He had gotten me my dream. How did he know? Better yet, how did he remember? I haven't seen him for over a year, and when I did see him, I hadn't spoken about my dream Hawkstrider in front of him for almost a decade. I felt tears in my eyes, and running down my cheek. He remembered.
He removed his hands from my shoulders and I slowly walked towards the Hawkstrider. Hand out to touch its beak, the Hawkstrider sniffed it, and then nuzzled my hand when it realised I wasn't going to harm it. My other hand however, was clutching at my chest. My heart was racing faster than I would have thought possible. This man that I only see when we're both at home, got me the Hawkstrider of my dreams, because it was his way of saying congratulations to me as I got promoted from Apprentice Mage to Adept Mage?
It didn't make sense.
"So, What do you think?" He asked me. What do I think? I don't know what to think. I can't think at all right now. Was this real?
"H-How? W-When? What?" I was a loss for words.
Thalina you fool, speak!
"Let's just say, I knew a guy who owed me a favour. Did I get the right one?"
Did he get the right one? This is the perfect one. The detail was all the same as I imagined it. The feathers would start off yellow, merging into orange and finishing as red. The colours of flames. I turned around to look at him, his hood was down, tears flowing freely down my face. I ran to him and embraced him before he could even react. He had done all of this for me? "Th-Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." I didn't want to let him go.
My brother leaned in towards Athrodar, "I take it as a yes."
He put his hand on top of my head, whilst I was still hugging him. "Come on, let's get you on this Hawkstrider, and you can take it for a ride." I simply nodded.
He moved me off him shortly after, turning me around and walking me to the Hawkstrider. Then, he lifted me up to the already attached saddle, and gave me a quick run down on what to do. I already knew how to ride, but he told me anyway. I nodded after he gave me the quick run down, wiping the tears from my face, I then set off to ride around the village.
At first the Hawkstrider was tentative towards me, but soon quickly came to recognise me as friend rather than foe. I hugged the neck of the beast whilst it started to sprint from one side of the village to the other. Passing the people who were walking about the place. I glanced over to my family and I saw minn'da talking to Athrodar, who was merely looking at me, smiling the whole time. Minn'da must have said something to him, because he looked at her for the first time since I started riding about. I wonder what she had said.
After what seemed like an eternity of joy with my new Hawkstrider, I brought her to a stop. Bringing her towards the stables outside our house. That was smart of Athrodar I suppose, hiding her in the village stables, otherwise I would have seen his gift before he gifted it to me. I hugged the Hawkstrider, who I've come to name ember, before walking back inside the house.
"... the Captain. I won't be long" I heard Athrodar say to my brother. My brother nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. He pulled his hood up and in an instant, he left off towards Silvermoon City.
"Where's he going?" I asked my brother shortly after, "I wanted to properly say thanks for the gift."
"He'll be back soon, he just has to report in to his Captain, give his latest report, casualties and then he should be on his way back. No more than a couple hours at most." He sounded certain on these points. I only nodded, staring at Athrodar walking off into the distance.
A few hours passed since Athrodar left. We had all settled around a long table, with food placed in the middle. Minn'da's cooking was always the best. I tried to cook once, it didn't go so well. I thought that using a magical fire would speed everything up. I was correct in this matter, but I didn't know how quickly it would cook. What would normally take at least two hours to cook everything, sped up to an hour. I didn't know how quickly it would cook, and before too long I could smell the food burning. I felt so embarrassed. I vowed from this day forward, If I was to ever cook meals for everyone, I would have to learn patience first.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I looked outside and saw it was raining. Not uncommon in this season, as winters veil was closing in. We all looked at each other until it dawned on us, Athrodar wasn't here. Quickly I got up from my seat and opened the door to a drenched elf who looked miserable. I could see he was physically shivering. In his defence, I would as well if I didn't think it would rain and went out in my uniform made for warmer weather. Thinking back to it, it was sunny a few hours ago. This rain must have hit fast.
"You're soaked!" His mother cried as he walked into the home. "Get upstairs quickly, and dry yourself before you catch something."
"Thalina, could you help him?" I jumped at the call of my name, not expecting minn'da of all people to ask me that. I just stared at her for a moment before she called my name again. "Thalina?"
With a call of my name I was pulled back to reality, "Yes, sorry minn'da, I'll help him." I took him upstairs to dry him off. Peeling his cloak off first, whilst he took off his boots and socks. His golden hair flowed freely now. It looked like thousands of silk strands coming off of his head, the urge to stroke his hair suddenly came upon me. Shaking my head I told him, "Let me go grab some towels to dry you off." Whether or not he heard me, I wasn't sure. He was just staring at a spot on the wall the whole time, seemingly lost in thought.
I returned with the towels shortly after, to find him with nothing but his ranger leggings on. I stopped in place and was staring at him. I don't know if it was minutes, hours or days that I stood there staring at his muscled chest. My heart was fluttering, and my cheeks were getting hot. Only when he looked at me and said my name was I pulled back to reality.
"Thalina?" He said again, I shook my head "I said can you pass me a towel please?" I blinked a couple of times, trying to push away the sudden urge to pounce on him, before making my way to him with the towels. "Sorry, here you go." I handed him a towel, and he started to dry off his chest. I grabbed another one and started to dry off his hair. I was lost in thought throughout the whole thing. When did he get all this muscle? Has he always looked like this? What's happening to me? I keep staring at him and making a fool of myself when he asks me something more than once because I didn't hear it the first time.
Only when he called me name was I, once again, thrown back into reality. "Thalina, could I have some.. uhm... Privacy?" He looked at me in the eyes, and I just looked back into his, not registering what he was saying until he waved his hand in front of my face.
"Sorry... Yeah, sure. Let me get your wet clothes first, then you can have your privacy." Embarrassed, I quickly grabbed all the clothes he had taken off, and ran out the room. Now I'm getting lost in his eyes? Get a hold of yourself!
I placed his clothes over a fire place so they could dry. Making my way back to where dinner was being held, I sat back down and started to move food onto my plate. The conversation that was happening seemed to flow over my head whilst I was there. All I could think about was what could I possibly be feeling for this elf whom I've known my whole life, but known very little about. And more importantly, why was I feeling it.
The rest of the night seemed to be uneventful. Until Ann'da came home earlier than expected. He and Athrodar caught up with each other, Ann'da giving him his condolences about the passing of his father. Oh! How did I forget, he lost his Ann'da recently, and all I could think about was why I was feeling what I was feeling.
"Athrodar" I spoke before I could stop myself. He turned towards me, and I walked over to hug him. "I'm sorry about your Ann'da, I should have said it sooner." I felt wretched for not coming to him sooner about the loss of his father.
"Hey, come on. It's okay, I wouldn't expect you to hug and condole me about the loss of my father. It's my mother I'm more worried about." He nodded his head in her direction, "She could use all the love and comfort more than me." He pat me on the back and removed my grip from around him.
Why do I keep hugging him? I've done it more times today than I have in the past ten years!
I looked up at him and he just smiled at me, squeezing my arms once before walking over to my brother. "Hey, I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere more private?".
"Yes, sure. Come." Vilandil brought him outside, where it had stopped raining.
My curiosity got the better of me, and I followed them shortly after. Pressing my ear up against the door to try and hear what they were talking about. It was mostly muffled but what I heard was enough for me to know what was going on.
"Captain... Scourge... Three days... Sorry." From this alone I could only guess what was happening. His captain told him the Scourge has become a bigger threat, and he had to leave within three days to go back to the front line. As for the 'Sorry', I could only assume he was sorry for the short visit but he had to leave. His visits were normally a month, so to be going within three days will be a shock to everyone.
I could hear them coming back towards the house, so I quickly ran back into the living room and sat on the couch with Minn'da. Athrodar and Vilandil entered the room shortly after. Athrodar then went on to announce what he was just talking about with Vilandil outside. "Whilst I was in Silvermoon handing in my latest reports to my Captain, he had told me that the scourge have been multiplying in The Dead Scar recently, and look to be moving north towards the City. I have been tasked to lead a ranger unit to them as of tomorrow, but will return in three days after handing them over to the commanding officer over there."
Close enough.
"Before you all get worked up about it, he's only leading them to Tranquillien." Reassured Vilandil, "I'll be accompanying him on the journey. Would be nice to be doing something with him again."
"As long as you stay safe," Said Illana. She seemed worried she may lose her son after he has just returned from duty. "Come home as soon as possible."
"I will, mother. It will only be for three days." He looked over at me, "Sorry Thalina, we're going to miss out on three days of celebrations. But If you can wait that long, I'm sure we can all pick it up from there." He smiled at me after that. I could only nod.
"We best be start packing then. Come Athrodar." He clapped him on the shoulder.
Shortly after, we all began to retire to our beds. I walked past Athrodar's room, and I heard raised voices. So I stood by the door and pressed an ear on to it to listen. I could hear Vilandil. "What do I tell them when you don't return? Hm? Your mother has already lost her husband, and now it seems like she's about to lose you!"
About to lose him? It's only for three days. What could go wrong in an escort mission?
"I... I don't know. Just tell her I'm sorry and that I love her with my heart. If I could, I'd stay. But I've been told to head back to Silvermoon after this mission. Apparently it's something important."
Back to Silvermoon? For what? Why does it sound like he's saying goodbye forever?
"Lor'themar can't do this.. Surely not? You're the most hard worked and skilled young ranger we have right now. You're place is with your people! Not halfway around the world!"
Halfway around the world? What could he possibly be doing there? Where even is there?
"That's exactly the reason why I'm being sent. He was told to send the best, and that apparently means me. What ever it is I'm being sent off to do, can't be sent by letter. He wants me to go to Silvermoon and talk to him there. Personally."
He's being sent on a mission, halfway across the world, though he has no idea what it's about?
Vilandil sighs. "There's not much point arguing this with him, is there? He's now Regent Lord, so his word is law. Even if it does sound like a stupid idea to send our best on a mission he doesn't even fully know about."
Even the Regent Lord knows nothing of the mission? What sort of joke is this?
"What do we tell your sister?"
"My sister? What does she have to do with this?"
Me? Why does he want to concern himself with me? I listen closely to what he has to say.
"You don't know? Your mother didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Tell him what?
"Your mother believes your sister has a crush on me. At first I didn't believe it, but after the way she's been acting today, and what your mother told me earlier, it seems more plausible now than it did."
"What did she tell you?"
"She told me that Thalina was staring at me whilst you were getting her gift, and as soon as I glanced at her, she looked away embarrassed and blushing. She also believes it all started that day we were climbing up trees back home. She tried to climb one as well, but fell and hurt her knee. Remember that? I told you to run back and get a priest, whilst I stayed back to make sure she was fine."
Minn'da! How could you spin such lies. I mean, they are lies. Right?
"Yeah I remember that. What was it? Twenty or so years ago?"
"Somewhere around that, simpler times I suppose."
"I hadn't noticed... You don't think that's why she's been so.. Physical... today? You know, with all the hugging?"
"Maybe. But I just thought it was because of the Hawkstrider. She had always talked about wanting one."
"If what my mother says is true. Buying the Hawkstrider may have pushed some of those feelings out of her today."
I have been hugging him more than what I normally would have... No! Get a hold of yourself! It was just a thoughtful gift!
"Anyway. I guess tell her that I'm sorry I couldn't stay to celebrate. I don't even know when I will return home. If I will return home."
He may not even come home... Will I never see him after this?A wash of despair came over me, and before I could even stop myself and think, I opened the door. I had tears in my eyes and my ears were drooped down, I starting walking towards Athrodar until I stood right in front of him. I looked up at his face and saw him looking at me shocked that I had heard it all.
"I'll take my leave, you two need to talk." Vilandil said, shortly before walking out the room.
It was just the two of us in the room. Vilandil had shut the door behind him to give us some sort of privacy. "Don't go..." I whispered. I didn't know what I was feeling. I had never felt this way before, yet whatever I was feeling at this moment, felt like it was tearing me apart inside.
He put his arms around me and pulled me close towards him. A new surge of tears hit me and I started crying into his chest. "Shh, it's okay." He whispered to me, "How much of it did you hear?"
"E-En-Enough" I replied, with great force to get my answer out. I was clutching on to the tunic he was wearing, as his ranger uniform was drying.
He put his hand under my chin and lift up my head to look at him. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, but I have a duty to Silvermoon first and foremost. I hope you can understand this."
How could I? He was leaving people that loved and cared for him, to fight for a city that barely knew him, other than as a rank.
People that loved and cared for him...
I love him...
I shook my head at the thought. It can't be true. Surely? I cared for him, sure. He was like family. He had always been close to my brother, so I saw him a lot when we were kids, even growing up. It wasn't until the last five or so years, that I hadn't seen him as often. But did I love him? Was it that much of a stretch?
"I don't want you to leave..." My throat constricting as I said it. I really didn't want him to go. Going to take the rangers to Tranquillien was one thing. But then to return to Silvermoon, just to be sent on a mission nobody knows much about, with the possibility of him never returning... I didn't want this.
Stop being selfish. He's serving his kingdom with great honour.
"I know. I don't want to leave either. Something about the lack of information for this mission doesn't seem right. But I have to take that risk, nobody else was called up to take it." Was it bravery, or blind loyalty? I wasn't sure at this moment. Perhaps I'll never fully understand why he was taking this mission.
"Athrodar..." I sniffed, "Can... Can I stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone." I really didn't. He was leaving the next day, and I wanted to be with him as much as possible before then.
"Uh," he hesitated. "Yeah. Sure you can. Do you want to go change into pyjamas?" I nodded. "Okay, just knock on the door twice so I know it's you, and I'll unlock it." And so I left. I went to my room and quickly got dressed into a pair of pyjamas and made my way back to his room. I knocked on the door twice, and I heard it unlock. When I entered, he was standing by the door waiting for me, I walked over to him and hugged him. He picked me up and walked over to the bed and lay me on it. He then got into the bed with me and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer.
I rolled him onto his back and lay my head on his chest, where his heart is. He kissed the top of my head as I started to drift to sleep. "I love you..." I whispered. Whether he heard me or not, I don't know. What I do know is that this may be the last chance I tell him that.
We slept the rest of the night like this, in each others arms.
