26 - Bird on the Bedpost

After dinner, Niveah bid her family farewell. Standing a few feet behind her was the Guardian. She knelt down to give Davin a hug and afterwards, was taken by surprise when he rushed past her to crash into her travel companion.

Medivh wasn't sure how to act and awkwardly patted the little boy on the back. The continuous outpouring of admiration Davin kept showering him with was very flattering. The little boy looked up to the older man. "Can I come see where you live?"

"Soon," the man stated in a small smile. "When I'm not so busy, I'll personally come for you and bring you to the tower."

"Promise?"

Medivh passed his staff to Niveah and took a knee before the boy. He held up his right hand, glowing orange, and watched as Davin's eyes grew big. "Remember that something wondrous I told you about?" The boy nodded. "Watch this."

Using his left hand, he scooped up a handful of loose dirt and covered it with his right. Now both hands were glowing as he worked his hands around the other. Davin didn't blink once during this. Within a few minutes, the magical runes faded away and the Guardian opened his hands. In the palm of his left hand was a little glass figurine of a raven.

He carefully picked it up and handed it to Davin. "If you promise me you'll take care of this, I promise you I will keep my word."

Tears filled the little boy's eyes and he tenderly accepted the fragile gift. He flung his arms around the kneeling man's neck and cried, "I love you, Guardian. Thank you."

Niveah's mom was just as tearful and brought a hand to her mouth to stiffen back her joyous sobs. Davin ran back to his parents to show them the glass figurine.

Medivh took back his staff and met the young woman's approving stare. He gave her a sideway nod of his head and backed away. "Take us back to Karazhan."

She nodded and closed her eyes to concentrate. She created the spell's foundation and in reciting the spell, formed the portal's core. Davin gaped in awe and tugged on his father's sleeve, pointing at the wisps of the spell.

Medivh stepped into the glowing circle and instantly felt the difference between this portal and the previous. There were strong currents of certainty enforcing the magic's base. He faintly smiled in approval. Niveah opened her hand and the night fallen Westfall disappeared.

They arrived back to Karazhan's terrace, the Guardian turning to retreat inside the tower. He stopped, however, when seeing Khadgar scramble to his feet from where he had been sitting near a wall. He mindlessly tossed aside the book he had been reading in the process.

"Guardian!" His frantic eyes fell on his good friend, next. "Niv...you're back!" His startled expression broadened. "And uninjured! I knew you would perform the spell just fine!"

She glared at him and strode past both men. "I would stay and chat, but I'd like some alone time for a bit."

Both people watched her disappear behind the closing door, Khadgar looking to his mentor. "Well? How did it go?"

Blue eyes remained locked on the door. "Quite well, actually. I was surprised at how well she was able to create her second portal and with such strength, too."

The younger man blinked. "I meant spending the day with her and her parents. You're only her little bother's idol."

"So I learned." As Medivh strode towards the tower door, as did Khadgar. They went inside and the staff and cloak handed over to apprentice. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have elsewhere to be." The great mage took on his raven form and flew off.

Niveah plopped down on her bed and stretched out. A part of her wanted to venture down to the library while another part of her didn't. Perhaps later. At that moment, all she wanted to do was lay there and relax. She unknowingly wore a smile as she thought back on the generous gift given to her little brother.

Familiar cawing of a raven perked her head up. She could see her little black bird friend perched on a statue outside her bed chamber's open door. "Shade!" The raven flew into the room and landed on a bedpost. "Been waiting for me, have you?" Another caw. She laughed. "I knew it would be a race between you and Khadgar on who would get here, first." She sighed, next, and pressed out a thin frown. Her brow lowered in deep thought. "Speaking of which...I think I have another admirer. I can only imagine what he would be like." The raven squawking brought her eyes upwards to look at it. "Oh come now, Shade, you know how I feel about him...About the Guardian." Her last words sounded distant. "I've only told you everything and then some." Her cheeks started to fill with flush.

Niveah got off her bed and started untying the back of her rose colored dress. She went to her wardrobe and started shifting through her assortment of hanging clothes. Medivh flew from the bedpost and to the top of the wardrobe's open door.

The woman continued. "Did you know all those blue roses left on my bed were actually from the Guardian?" She smiled up at the cawing raven. "This whole time I thought it was Khadgar. Everything left in my room from my little bracelet," she held up her wrist, "to the drawing book were all from him." She smiled. "Looks like you have two people to set in their place," she giggled. "After your little pecking ordeal on Khadgar, I noticed he started keeping his distance when you're around." Her eyes darted to the side in thought. "For that matter, overall, actually." She shrugged. "I doubt you have the feathers to set Medivh in his place, too." The raven started squawking even more, making Niveah laugh. "Now, what to wear." The woman huffed a breath. "Do I want to wear the blue dress? Or do I want to wear the green dress?" Niveah cocked her head to the side. "Got any ideas, Shade?"

Medivh had plenty of ideas. He loved the blue one on her as it brought out the blue in her eyes. At the same time, the green did the same to the other half of her eyes. But, there was one dress he had a particular soft spot for. Everything about it complimented her from her reddish brown hair, natural fair complexion to even how it accentuated her body's curve. Unfortunately, there was no way of telling her to go for the dark wine colored velvet dress. Or was there? He worried doing so would draw suspicions. So he started to squawk.

Niveah studied the bird curiously. "What's gotten into you?" The raven kept cawing and snapping its beak. "Calm down, will you? Hush!" Finally the bird fell quiet. "Now, one caw for blue and two for green." Silence. "Do you even know what I'm saying?" Three caws, so as not to confuse for an answer to her dress question. "Okay...so neither, then?" Three more caws. "Lovely. Fine. Then you pick one since you think you have a better sense of fashion!"

Medivh stared at her in genuine intrigue. Was she serious? He looked from her and to the wardrobe and flew down to tackle half of the dark wine colored dress off its hangar. It fell to the bottom of the wardrobe in a clump of wrinkled fabric. He stood over it and pecked at it.

"That old thing?" She bent down to pick up the dress with one hand and the raven in another. "Why this? Why not one of the newer ones? Besides, I recently wore this."

If only he could tell her every thought running through his head, at that moment. He flew off her hand and back to the bedpost.

The woman shrugged and tossed the dress onto the bed to finish loosening the dress she had on. She stopped and looked to the door. One swing of her hand had the door closing by magic.

"I'd hate to give Moroes, or worse, Khadgar, a show should either decide to walk by."

Medivh squawked and flew through the archway above the door. Despite his strong affections for the young woman, he was not about to intrude on her privacy during certain times. He might enjoy being a little bird on a bedpost, but this was not one such occasion to not witness.