Hi?
I didn't post an authors note in the last chapter because I was simply trying to figure out how the hell this website works? It's not easy and I don't get it but hopefully I'll get better at it :P
I struggled to find a way to reply to the review I got -WHICH I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT BY THE WAY- if you even can reply... anyway so I thought I'd do it here.
Lala here's the reply if you're reading :P -I know, there seems to be a tiny amount of Wingsstuff on here so I thought I'd help contribute. You'll have to wait to find out who the other Winters are (as I don't know myself), but I can tell you that Oren is the youngest, and next in line to get the throne. As for Laurel and Tamani, they MIGHT be in it, or their child might -but the story is not about them so you never know :P
Read on, then. Enjoy.
It would be years before they met again.
And while the meeting may have been pushed to the back of their minds for the time being, neither of them had forgotten. The funny thing about a life in Avalon, one always seems to run into someone when they least expect it. The area is not really that big, but to these faeries from entirely different corners, the distance might as well be from Antarctica to the North Pole.
They'd both grown up more over the two years of separation. At seven years old, they still looked like young children, yet acted like they were almost adults. Leliana had moved up in the world, her talents for crafts with her hands earning her a prestigious place in the market square, apprenticing and learning the tools of the trade.
Oren was rarely seen outside of the Summer Palace. It seemed that the whole of Avalon knew that he was apparently sick with some unknown ailment. A complete lie, on behalf of the King, who thought that it would be best to keep the youngest Winter safe, locked up and confined, for his whole life.
Besides, Oren was training to succeed when King Salos faded, he did not have time to be out in public, and nobody could see why he would want to.
It was after one of the many festivals that the Summer Faerie's pride themselves on. Leliana had had nothing occupy her afterwards, her role had been fulfilled for the week and she did not have anyone to dance with. And with her parents gone, she felt lonelier than ever.
So, knowing that no one else would be around there, escaped to visit the world tree, where her mother was last seen and where Leliana knew she was watching.
Sitting under the shade of the tree, legs crossed and hands expertly carving a wooden figurine, Leliana finally relaxed under the atmosphere created by the thousands of years of experience before her. It was familiar here, she felt more at home in the middle of the forest than in her glass house.
"What are you doing?" A soft, familiar voice echoed out to her.
"Carving," She held up the small figure, a sea turtle with patterns ingrained on the shell, "My neighbors' seedling loves my carvings."
Oren, again wearing Spring Faerie clothing, sat next to her, "Can I see?"
Instantly –used to obeying orders from higher Fae- she passed him the figurine, and began cleaning the tool she'd been using.
"This is very well done," He murmured, turning the turtle over in his hands, "Is this your craft?"
Leliana sat up straighter, bowing her head as he tried to look her in the eyes, "Yes. I aim to start a stall where I can sell the tools of other trades – such as hand-crafted guitars and/or cellos, or spider-silk costumes for-"
"Hey hey hey, Leliana-" He interrupted with wide eyes, touching her shoulder.
She stopped talking instantly, her eyes snapping up to his.
They were an extremely dark brown this time, adding colour to the roots of his hair and standing out on his pale skin.
Hers were a bright red this time, unsettling but suiting her look and inquisitive eyes.
They sat in silence for a moment, until Oren let go of her shoulder, "It's okay, I was simply going to say that you don't have to always be on guard with me. I want us to be friends." He offered her the turtle carving, palm open and inviting.
She turned the word over in her mind. It seemed to her that he was being sincere, and she hated how lonely her tiny glass house could be. So she put her hand under his and curled his fingers around the figurine, "Friends is good."
"What about-"
She grinned, and Oren was convinced that the sight was the most beautiful thing in Avalon.
"Keep it," She said, "I have already made fifteen of them."
Together they shared conspiring smiles, sitting next to each other as they were, facing the World Tree.
She'd been explaining how to carve, showing him on the turtle she'd finished as she described. After he asked her about the magic aspect of being a Sparkler, and she gladly showed him the small illusions she'd always been average at. When she began explaining why the Summer Fae lived in glass houses, she grew tired of speaking only of herself.
"What about you, could you tell me of the Winter Palace?"
His eyes gleamed, and a small mischievous smile grew on his face, "The walls and the tree grow, intertwined together to make the structure of my home, the walls look like they are crumbling, but it's the strongest hold that we have." He looked up at the World Tree, "It's the second-best place in Avalon."
She tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow, "Second best?"
"Next to here, of course." They both looked up at the sprawling tree in front of them, "Next to you."
She looked down, fighting the smile.
Then the shouts started echoing down to them, to the left of where they were sitting.
Oren stood up, "That is my cue to leave," He dusted off his clothes, "My Am-fear-fair have probably noticed my absence by now."
She stood too, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "When will I see you again?"
Oren put his hands in his pockets, "I'm not… sure."
The shouts increased in volume.
He glanced over his shoulder, then turned urgently to her with that mischievous smile that she was growing accustomed to, "Tell you what, you re-direct them and I'll hide?"
It was risky, and she knew it. When they got caught the both of them would be in a whole lot of trouble.
The shouts got louder once again as she deliberated for a few more seconds. She then nodded, "Go, I will call you when it's clear."
Oren winked at her before he ran towards a large oak tree a short ways away from where they'd been sitting. She has only time to blink in wonder as he steps towards the tree and promptly disappears.
She runs closer to the World Tree, sitting cross-legged at the base and closes her eyes like she had been meditating.
This was how Oren's guardians found her when they came crashing through the trees. They poked around for a few seconds, and Leliana felt them moving towards the tree where Oren was hidden.
Even though their steps were quiet, they were murmuring to themselves and moving leaves aside to look for the boy, and that was good enough for her.
Steeling herself, Leliana knew she was so going to get caught but continued anyway, "Would it wilt you to give me some peace?" she demanded, opening her red eyes to glare at them, knowing it would unsettle the Spring Faeries standing in the shade of the World Tree.
They all froze, as if they hadn't even known she was there.
All the better, "Whatever you are doing, please leave, I'm trying to concentrate here." She stood, walking towards them with a less demanding voice, more polite and less assertive, "What are you doing?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"We are searching for a Faerie that has gone missing." He replied, the lilted speech present in everyone from Avalon more prominent in the Guardian than most, "This is one of his usual hiding places."
Leliana nodded absently, feeling her chest seize up in panic as the rest of the am-fear-fair started looking again.
"Well I haven't seen anyone, as this is supposed to be a private area? Or have you forgotten where you are?" Leliana slightly moved so she was almost facing the World Tree again, "I was… busy."
"We apologize my lady, we will leave." The Guardian signaled to the rest of his group, and together the am-fear-fair marched out of the area.
Oren appeared behind her, tapping her shoulder and making her jump, "That was cheeky." He laughed, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.
She stiffened. Not having been embraced like this since her parents left. She'd forgotten how comforting interaction such as this was, and after the initial shock she wrapped her arms around him too.
They broke apart, the mischief in the eyes of the two small Fae gleaming like they say in human tales.
"Why don't we meet again next month?" Oren suggested, "I can only escape so many times."
She nodded, "That's a good idea –my instructor keeps a close watch on me too. Not at your level but enough to make it difficult to leave."
Oren held out his pinky, "You swear?"
She replied, completing the pinky-swear. "I swear."