Author's notes: Hey! Sorry this chapter's a bit late (ok...very late), but at least I got it up on Wednesday! My excuse for the delay this time (heh heh, there's always an excuse) is that I was busy with New Year's parties and New Year's stuff. Again, Wednesday has fallen onto a rather busy day for me. So that means I couldn't get around to trying to upload the fic until around 9PM, and then, when I tried to upload chap. 8, I couldn't login! Apparently they were having some technical difficulties. So, it's not all my fault! You'll forgive me, right? Anyway, since I didn't update last Wednesday, I decided to make this chapter slightly longer, to somewhat make up for it. I hope you enjoy it!
I'de like to thank all the wonderfully kind people who have reviewed Arelle! It's so very kind of you ^^ I get so excited when I see a new review... Tess, Kage and Shiroi Yuki (my friends and fellow webmasters www.sailorchibimoon.com) should know! I'de just like to say to those that have reviewed my fic: Your kind words have brightened my days, encouraged me to do better in all things I do, not only writing, and truly made me glad I started writing Arelle.
Oh, and one more thing. Happy New Year! I wish everyone out there a wonderful new year, filled with happiness and love! The New Year represents a new beginning, a fresh start to life. I hope this year is the best year of your life yet, and that all the years after will be filled with the same goodness! God bless you all!!
~*~*~*~*~
Arelle sat on the ground next to the fire mending Moren's torn tunic. She didn't like sewing much. It required so much concentration and patience, and she had decided earlier in her life that sewing was not one of her best talents.
"Arelle?! Is it true?!"
Arelle turned to see Lilliah gasping for breath behind her, staring at her wide-eyed.
"Is what true, Lilliah?" Arelle replied, confused.
"THAT YOU'RE AKINEN'S NIECE!"
"Oh…Well…yes. It's true." Arelle replied.
"Arelle! Why didn't you tell me?" Lilliah asked.
"Hmm…I didn't really think about it."
"Didn't think about it? How could you forget that he's your uncle?" Lilliah asked.
Arelle paused in silence, looking at the ground.
"Lilliah, it's not that simple." Arelle replied.
Lilliah looked at her confused.
"What do you mean 'it's not that simple'?" Lilliah asked.
Just then, Moren came out of the forest holding firewood. Arelle noticed Lilliah was also carrying firewood. That's why Lilliah knew about Akinen being Arelle's uncle, no doubt. Moren must have told her while they were collecting firewood together.
"Hello, Moren. When will we resume the magic lesson?" Arelle asked, standing up.
"Oh, hi, Arelle! The lesson? We'll resume it after lunch." Moren replied.
"Very well. I will go check on the soup. It's probably ready by now." Arelle said as she walked off quickly in the direction of camp. Moren and Lilliah watched as she left.
"Moren, is there something I should know about Arelle and Akinen? I noticed before, but they don't seem to like each other too much. Well... Maybe it's just Arelle. She seems to avoid Akinen a lot," Lilliah said.
"Lilliah…It actually just kind of slipped out that they were related. I didn't mean to say that. Though they are related, I wasn't sure if they would want you to know it." Moren said, sighing.
"Why is that?" Lilliah asked.
"Well…It's somewhat complicated, Lilliah. Akinen sort of disgraced the Mah'Alimahs…" Moren said.
"Disgraced?"
"By joining the Cutthroats." Moren replied. Lilliah stood, pondering what she had heard.
"I see, now…" Lilliah said. "Yes, I remember him mentioning that before. But that's sad…Arelle is still mad at Akinen for something he did so long ago?"
"If I understand right, it was very disgraceful. Arelle doesn't talk about it, but I think her family could have been disgraced forever because of what Akinen did. But they weren't disgraced forever, I know, because when I met Arelle, I knew she was rich and respectable. So something must have happened to her family that made them gain their respect back. I'm not sure what it was." Moren said.
"I see. Well, it's still sad for Akinen." Lilliah said.
"Yes, it is..." Moren said.
"Akinen seems proud of Arelle. I know he must be sad that she's still mad at him. I have to change this. I can't let Arelle be mad at Akinen for something he did so long ago. I have decided to change Arelle's mind." Lilliah said as she walked off towards camp. Moren stared after her, and then ran to catch up.
*********
That night at dinner, everyone sat near the fire to warm themselves. The winter was nearly upon them, and the colder weather made that fact constantly apparent to them. Surprisingly, however, Lilliah seemed to be at home with the cooler weather. She didn't seem to be cold at all. Arelle guessed it was because she was from up north and, no doubt, lived in Hallas, the Barbarian city, where it was constantly snowing. She suspected Lilliah sat beside the fire, next to Akinen, only to be friendly, rather than gain warmth from the fire.
"It looks like your wounds are practically healed now, Akinen." Moren said as he slurped some stew from his bowl.
"Yes… I believe so. Thanks to all of ye. I am deeply in yer debt." Akinen said this to the whole group, but Lilliah saw that mostly he looked at Arelle when he said this. Lillliah could easily tell that he sought Arelle's forgiveness. Even if Akinen had disgraced the Mah'Alimahs, Arelle shouldn't have held it against him for such a long time. I mean, he did it when he was a very young man! He was a middle-aged man now!
"We were glad to help you, Akinen." Moren said. Arelle sat next to Moren, looking into the fire and silently sipping out of her bowl of stew. Even while slurping stew out of a bowl, Arelle still had the air and manners of a respectable lady.
"I must thank you too, Moren and Arelle, for letting me stay with you." Lilliah said.
"It was no trouble at all, Lilliah. We're glad to have you with us." Arelle said, smiling at Lilliah.
"You're too kind, Arelle. Truly, you have such a kindness in you…" Lilliah said, smiling back at Arelle. "...Just like your uncle." Arelle seemed somewhat surprised at Lilliah's words, but quickly regained her manners and smiled at Lilliah before staring back into the fire.
"Thank you." Arelle replied.
"Ah yes, I remember all the many good things Akinen did for me. You do remind me a bit of him, now that I think about it. At least in the fact that both of you are so warm-hearted and kind." Lilliah carried on. Arelle stared into the fire, while Akinen seemed somewhat embarrassed at the praise he was receiving and fidgeted a little.
"You sound like you have a lot of interesting stories about Akinen." Moren said.
"Indeed so. Many tales of his kindness." Lilliah replied, happily.
"Why don't you tell us some?" Moren said, relaxing back in his seat, preparing himself for a long tale.
"Ah, indeed! A splendid idea. Now…which tale should I tell?" Lilliah said.
"How about…How about when you met Akinen?" Arelle said, looking up at Lilliah. Lilliah paused.
"That is a rather long tale." Lilliah replied.
"Indeed it is," Akinen said, standing up. "And a tale that should be left for a night when it is not so late."
"Very well." Arelle said, standing up as well. Lilliah and Moren stood up now, too.
"Then I shall see you all in the morn." Akinen said, lying on his mat beside the fire.
***********
Since Lilliah and Akinen arrived, the sleeping order had changed a bit. Akinen and Moren slept outside on mats by the tent, while Arelle and Lilliah slept inside the tent. Of course, they still each had their watch, and whenever one's watch was over, they would wake the next to take watch. It had been rather common when Arelle first arrived that orcs and other monsters attacked them during the night. The tent seemed to make them look like an easy target for some reason. But as of more recently, creatures seemed to have learned that their tent was not such an easy target. Now it was rather rare to be attacked by orcs, though some small creatures with less sense still attacked occasionally. Really, though, the party never expected anything they couldn't handle to come out at them during the night. It was actually more dangerous in the day.
As Arelle lay on her mat, preparing to sleep, she went over the events of the day in her mind. Why hadn't Akinen wanted Lilliah to tell how they met each other? He had acted slightly embarrassed about it. Had it been that he was embarrassed about how they met? And so he didn't want Lilliah to tell? Why was he like that? The one time when she was interested in hearing about him, and he wouldn't let her! Lilliah certainly seemed to like Akinen. And she also seemed to respect him. He must've been kind to her when they knew each other before. But it was more than that. Everything Lilliah did seemed to somehow have something to do with Akinen. She wouldn't even be here if it weren't for Akinen. She always sat by him, she talked to him all the time, and when she worked, she was always working for Akinen's sake. Well, she had come to repay her debt to Akinen, so it made sense she would hang around him so much. But it seemed more than just wanting to repay her debt that she hung around him, constantly talking to him and smiling so happily. Arelle liked Lilliah. On the outside, if Lilliah didn't know you, she seemed to be rather cold and emotionless. Like when Arelle had first met Lilliah, at the river. But after she had gained some of Lilliah's trust, Lilliah seemed to be less cold and reserved. And now that Lilliah was living with them, she was always smiles and kind words. Especially when she was around Akinen. Lilliah seemed to have a deep care for everyone around her, not only Akinen. And she never treated Arelle like a child, though Lilliah was nearly three times Arelle's age. Lilliah was actually just a bit younger than Akinen. Now that Arelle thought about it, Lilliah was the only girl she knew out here in the forest of Greater Faydark.
Moren was also a good friend, though. Truly, he was like family. Arelle had become so comfortable around him these days. She knew he felt a need to always protect her, like a big brother, and she liked it. He was always so kind to her. When she had lived in Felwithe, Arelle was known for her fiery temper and her determination to do everything by herself. When she first arrived at Greater Faydark, she had continued to act that way. Soon, however, her fiery temper gave way to the kindness Moren always showed her. He was such a gentlemen in some ways. In Felwithe, all the boys thought of her as something like a tomboy. Some were even afraid of her. But never once had Moren treated her the way the High-Elf boys had. And he was never truly afraid of her, even when her fiery temper sometimes acted up. And if anything, he seemed to think her fiery temper only added to her fascinating personality. She recalled one certain day when she was so mad at him she accidentally lit his arm on fire. Fortunately, she had been able to quickly dowse it out with a bowl of water. After the accident, Moren never even gave her a mean look. In fact, he started laughing out loud. Arelle had been confused and aggravated at him for it at first, but soon began chuckling with him. They had had quite a few good laughs about that time together since then, but Arelle was still slightly embarrassed about the incident whenever it was brought up.
And then there was Akinen. Arelle frowned inwardly, thinking about him. She knew in her heart that she should forgive him. He deserved her forgiveness. But, somehow, her pride seemed to get the better of her on the subject.
Arelle rolled over onto her back, staring with her half-opened eyes at the starry heavens above. They were the same stars she had seen in Felwithe, except these stars seemed to have more of a peaceful, serene look. Or was it herself that was more peaceful than when she lived in Felwithe?
Arelle rested her head to the side so she could see through the crack between the flaps at the opening at the tent. She could see Moren, leaning over the fire, warming his hands. She watched him until her eyes slowly closed and she fell into a light slumber.