Okay, so this update took way longer than I had planned. The holidays were insane, and getting back into the swing of things after the new year was even worse. I don't plan on making you wait a month for the next chapter, don't worry!
Enjoy!
Rayla woke up before sunrise on her sixteenth birthday and, for a moment, it felt like all the birthdays before.
In that moment of foggy bliss between the sleeping and waking world, she was in a different time. Once she was fully awake, she would spring from her bed and hurry into the next room to find a letter from her parents waiting for her. She'd read it over and over again, imagining her mother and father in the Storm Spire, serving the King and Queen. She would spend her afternoon writing back, then enter the kitchen to find a slightly-messy moonberry surprise, courtesy of Runaan.
She opened her eyes. The illusion faded like a dream as she was unceremoniously dropped into full consciousness. There would be no letter from her parent, and no messy baking attempts from Runaan. Not this year, or any other year.
A few tears trickled down her cheek, seeping into the pillow. Wiping her face, she forced her suddenly-heavy limbs to bear her weight and take her out of her room.
Her heart lightened a bit as she entered the living room and saw Callum, still fast asleep on the couch. His mouth was slightly open, and he was hugging one of the pillows to his chest. He had recently admitted that he was now so used to cuddling with Rayla whenever possible, he instinctively clung to whatever was on hand when sleeping alone. It was ridiculously adorable!
Rayla knelt next to him, gently brushing his bangs to the side, taking in his dopey sleeping face. The softest of smiles pushed through her lingering sadness, and she touched a quick kiss to his brow before getting ready for the day.
Ethari was already in the kitchen when she returned, sipping a cup of tea and eating a muffin. He glanced up with mild surprise as Rayla entered. "I thought you'd sleep in more. You went to bed a bit late."
"I'm fine," Rayla assured him. "I'm used to getting up early."
"All the more reason to get more sleep when you can." He touched Rayla's cheek as she sat down next to him. "I believe those are bags under your eyes."
"Ethari," Rayla groaned, batting his hand away. "I'm fine. No fussing on my birthday."
"Fine, fine." Ethari held up his hands in surrender.
"And no telling my boyfriend embarrassing stories!" she added, shooting him a pointed glare.
"As you say," Ethari said, a smirk coming to his face. "You're here for two more days, after all."
"Ugggghhhhhh!" Rayla's forehead quickly became acquainted with the table.
Ethari chuckled quietly, then reached over to ruffle Rayla's hair. "I'm so glad you came home. I… Well, I wasn't sure if you'd want to come back."
Rayla looked up from her faceplant. "It was mainly because I wanted to see you." She sat up fully again. "With Mom, Dad, and Runaan gone, I want to stay close to the family I have left." Her heart ached once again as she thought of them.
A ripple of pain crossed Ethari's expression, and he slowly withdrew his hand, staring down at the table. "Rayla, I've been meaning to-" He stopped just as footsteps approached the kitchen.
"Morning!" Callum said brightly as he sat down at the table. "Happy birthday, Rayla!"
"Thank you." Rayla tried to steal a glance at Ethari, but he was already standing up to get a cup of tea for Callum.
Her ears drooped slightly. What was he going to say that got him so nervous all of a sudden? She noticed Callum giving her a concerned look and minutely shook her head, mouthing "Later."
Callum nodded as Ethari returned with his tea. "So, any big plans today?"
"Whatever you decide to do," Ethari replied. "I didn't plan much besides making sure everywhere is stocked with moonberry surprise." He winked at Rayla. "Rayla never much liked birthday parties."
"I like parties just fine," Rayla said. "I just don't like having large numbers of people staring at me."
"Big celebrations are part of the package if you're in the royal family," Callum sighed nostalgically. "The parties back in Katolis for Ezran and my birthdays were always huge. Personally, I would've been fine doing my yearly family portrait and having a smaller meal at the end of the day." His expression became wistful. "But Dad always wanted to make sure I got the royal treatment."
Rayla touched Callum's hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something cross Ethari's face. It was a pained expression, similar to what she had seen before Callum came into the kitchen. It cleared away when she tried to look directly at him.
Ethari was already smiling again as he asked: "You have a portrait painted every year?"
"I draw it, actually," Callum explained. "Dad gave me a huge sketchbook for my birthday when I was little, and I've done a family picture every year since." His portrait this year was the first one that had all of his parents bearing the more faded lines of one who has died. It was also the first one to include an elf.
"I see." A genuine smile quickly replaced the improvised one of a moment ago. "I'd like to see your sketches before you go back to the Spire, if that's alright with you."
Callum grinned brightly. "Sure! Ooh, I can draw a-" He suddenly stopped, his eyes shining as a brilliant idea occurred to him. He coughed. "I can draw a thing I will show you guys later on," he finished unconvincingly.
Rayla and Ethari exchanged a curious look, but said nothing.
After the table was cleared and Callum went into the next room to tidy up the sofa, Ethari approached Rayla and whispered: "Later on, I can give you a sip of moonberry wine, if you like."
Rayla's eyes lit up. Moonberry wine was a rare treat that she only got one sip of per year. Unlike most wines, this one contained no alcoholic burn, instead tasting like a very rich, deep kind of moonberry juice. "Can Callum try?"
Ethari shook his head. "No. I'm your guardian, so it's different for me to give you a taste. If his aunt was here and agreed, that'd be different. Besides, moonberry wine is very potent. There's no telling how even a little could affect a human."
"True," Rayla allowed. "I'll have a sip before bed."
"I take it you two will be wandering about today?" Ethari guessed.
"Of course!" Rayla smiled excitedly. "I want to show him everything."
Ethari's expression became somewhat shadowed. "Just remember: Despite what you and Callum have done, there is still a lot of prejudice against humans, especially here. Be careful, and tell Chieftain Artemis if anyone misbehaves. Tell me as well, so I can discreetly kill them for you."
"Wasn't I the one trained in 'discreet killing?'" Rayla asked, sticking out her tongue as she pointedly tried to lighten the mood.
Ethari chuckled, but his eyes remained serious. "Just be careful."
"We will," Rayla promised. When Callum returned, she led him out the door, waving over her shoulder. "Bye, Ethari!"
Ethari waved back, smiling cheerily, though the expression was wiped from his face as soon as the door closed. The silence pressed in, replacing the usual morning breakfast noises. Fleeing the sudden quiet, he returned to his room.
The bed was large, well-made, and far too empty. Ethari sat down on his side, picking up the pillow from his husband's side and pressing it to his face. Runaan's scent was almost gone.
Hugging the pillow to his chest, Ethari fell back on the bed. "You always said I was better at talking to her," he murmured, closing his eyes. "So, why am I having so much trouble saying two tiny words?"
No one answered, but Ethari knew without being told: It was because he didn't want to open that door again. He didn't want to think about that moment when Rayla had come to him, scared and in need, and he cruelly turned her away. He didn't want to revisit the heartbreak he had seen on her face as it was reflected in one of his blades.
He wanted to pretend it hadn't happened. He wanted to look at his daughter's happy face, and take it for what it was. He wanted to spoil her, get to know that funny, kind human she was so fond of, and try to move on with his life.
And he knew Rayla wanted that too. It was why she had brushed off the fact that no one had apologized to her. It was just easier to bury the mistakes of the past and focus on a happier present. It was better to just leave things as they were.
"So, why does my stomach hurt so much?" Ethari mumbled. "And no, it's not because I had too much moonberry wine, love. I learned my lesson the first time, don't you remember?" He let out a short laugh that quickly turned into a hiccupping sob.
He rolled over, pressing his nose into Runaan's pillow once again.
…..
At the bottom of the stairs, Callum questioned Rayla about what had been bothering her at breakfast.
"It's not me," she explained. "Something seems to be off with Ethari." She described the hurt, sad looks she had caught out of the corner of her eye when she had spoken to him, and when Callum had mentioned King Harrow.
"He could be thinking about Runaan," Callum suggested. "If you're worried, you should talk to him about it."
"I will." Rayla placed her hand over Callum's as she looked back up at the tree. "I wish Runaan was here. I think you two would have gotten along." She smiled a little, though her eyes were getting misty. "Don't get me wrong: He'd absolutely do the scary father act whenever possible, but he'd secretly like you."
Callum pulled her into a hug, letting her lean against him for a moment. "If you need a minute, we can stay here for a bit."
Rayla hugged Callum back, squeezing once before stepping away resolutely. "No, I'm fine. I want to enjoy today. You're finally in Silvergrove, and we're going to make the most of it. Come on!"
Silvergrove shimmered like gold-flushed alabaster in the morning sun, the mystic beauty of the night being replaced with a surprisingly-straightforward summer day loveliness. Callum drank it all in as Rayla tugged him down a path.
"What's the first stop?" he asked.
"The Eclipse Bakery," Rayla replied. "I went there before school at the end of every week. They sell very small moonberry surprises that I could afford with my allowance. I'd eat mine on the way to my first class."
Callum imagined a young Rayla hurrying toward a schoolhouse, an overfull bookbag on her back, half of a moonberry surprise crammed into her mouth. I am so drawing that later, he thought with a grin. After I do that thing I thought of for Ethari and Rayla…
The man in charge of the Eclipse Bakery was the opposite of Barius in nearly every way. Instead of a friendly face and shining eyes, he wore what seemed to be a permanent disapproving scowl. He was as thin and upright as a newly-displayed scarecrow. As the kids walked in, he nibbled on the edge of a tart, frowned, and threw what looked to be an entire platter of them into the trash.
He blinked a little out of sync when he saw his two newest customers, but otherwise betrayed no emotion. "Welcome," he said, nodding once to both Rayla and Callum. "Everything was made fresh this morning."
Callum blanched under his piercing stare, but Rayla was grinning. The brusque attitude of the baker was as familiar to her as what she was about to order. "I'll have a moonberry surprise, please!" She reached into her pocket, but stopped when Callum touched her wrist.
"Oh, no!" he said. "It's your birthday. You aren't paying for anything." He stepped forward. "Make that two moonberry surprises and…" He looked at the case for a moment. "Ooh! That chocolate tart looks good too. I'll have one of those, please."
The baker nodded and started packing up the pastries in simple black boxes. He calculated the total.
"Isn't that a little low?" Callum asked, checking the prices again.
"Hers is free," the baker said simply, glancing at Rayla, who returned his look with a pleasantly-surprised smile.
"Wow, thanks!" Callum started counting out his coins. "You know, it was my birthday too recently…" he started.
The baker grunted. "Come back next year on your actual birthday, and we'll see."
"Fair enough." Callum accepted the boxes. "Have a nice day!"
"Watch yourself out there," the baker advised.
"Is it just me," Callum said as they walked down the path. "Or was that cranky baker somehow the second most friendly elf we've seen here?" He glanced toward a nearby house, where one of the resident Moonshadows quickly turned away, pretending they hadn't been staring. "I mean, he took my money, invited me back, and didn't call me 'human.'"
"He likes people who like good pastries," Rayla replied, though she was privately surprised as well. Then, she felt a flush of sadness that she even had to be surprised about something like that.
"Anyway," she said, pushing the thought aside. "In keeping with tradition, let's go to school!"
As they walked, they started munching on their moonberry surprises. This batch was filled with a simple, sweet blueberry custard that contrasted nicely with the tart moonberries on top. Rayla finished hers first, licking her fingers cheerfully as she looked at the sunlight shining through the treetops. It was almost like her old school days, except she wasn't hurrying to a boring class!
Callum finished his pastry and noticed a small spot of custard on Rayla's cheek. "Here, you got a little something," he said, running his thumb over the spot and licking the custard from his hand without a second thought.
Rayla blushed both at her messiness and the casual intimacy of Callum's gesture. Even after several moons with him, the littlest moments and actions could still stun her with just how happy they made her. She heard a cough behind them and glanced over just in time to see a scowling elf walking back into her home a few feet down the road. She tried to hide her frown, and hurried Callum along.
They reached their destination, and Callum could only stare. The school didn't resemble any of the educational buildings or libraries in Katolis, which were often large stone creations of uniform size and shape. Instead of being one structure, this school was comprised of several trees of various sizes. The biggest one sat in the center and had more bridges extending from it than one could count. An entrance had been carved into the base, and there were doorways opening up onto sturdy branches. Callum could see a few students running from one branch to the next along the bridges. At the base of the trees was a cleared field filled with various forms of beat-up training equipment.
"That's where recess happens," Rayla explained, smiling nostalgically. "I always played on the climbing wall."
"I need to draw this," Callum gasped, taking his sketchbook out of his bag. "It's neat how everything was built inside the living trees."
"The Earthblood elves do a better job at things like that," Rayla said dismissively, though there was a hint of pride in her voice just the same.
As Callum was finishing a quick sketch of the center tree, a group of children came running from the base of it toward the field. They stopped short when they saw Rayla and Callum. There was a beat of silence before the child swarm surged forward and, without preamble, started bombarding the two with questions.
"I know who you are! Were you really ghosted? What do elves look like without faces?"
"Is it cool being a Dragonguard?"
"Did you really kill a king?"
"Is that really a human? Is it gonna eat us?"
"Hold it!" Rayla shouted, holding up her hands. The children hushed up immediately. She took a breath and looked at each kid in turn. "Yes, I was. Elves without faces look terrifying, and I hope you never have to see just how so. Being a Dragonguard is the best. No, I didn't kill-"
She paused, her brows furrowing. "Wait, Viren was King of Katolis when I pushed him from the Spire, wasn't he?"
"Yep," Callum affirmed, though he was still gaping at the kid who had asked the last question. "Did that kid seriously ask if I was going to eat them?!"
"So, yes. I did, in fact, kill a king," Rayla continued, frowning. Before, having a dead human king on her record would have made her proud, especially if it was one as evil as Viren. Now, she felt mostly hollow about the whole thing.
She turned to the last kid. "And yes, that is a human. No, he won't eat you."
"Why in the world would you think I'd eat you?" Callum asked, staring at the wide-eyed child.
"Humans eat magical creatures," the kid said, folding their arms. "They steal magic and cast bad spells. Everyone knows that."
Rayla opened her mouth to deny this, but Callum was already kneeling down, so he was at eye level with the children. A few of them shrank away from him, but most held their ground, their curiosity winning out over their nervousness.
"There are bad humans in the world," he admitted. "And some of those bad humans use Dark Magic. But I'm a good human, and I don't use Dark Magic, so I'm not taking magic away from anyone. I actually use Sky Magic."
"Nuh-uh!" a young girl piped up. "Humans can only use Dark Magic! Everyone knows that!"
"Oh, really?" Callum stood up and held out his arms. "Watch closely. Manus Pluma Volantus!" He felt the familiar tickle of his feathers sprouting down his arms.
"WHOA!" The kids chorused. A few hurried forward to tug at the feathers, making Callum wince a little.
"They're real!" a young boy with sharp eyes and a fearless grin called to the others. "And those were actual dragon words he said!"
"Can you fly?"
"Why else would I have wings?"
"Fly now!" This was quickly repeated by several other eager children. "Yeah, show us how you fly!"
Callum looked around. "I need a high place to jump from…"
"Let's take him in the school," the sharp-eyed boy suggested. "He can jump off that branch up there!"
"But we aren't allowed," another student pointed out. "Remember? Our teachers said the human isn't allowed inside."
Rayla's breath caught as Callum visibly deflated. She quickly placed a hand on his shoulder as his entire posture slumped down. It was like all the enthusiasm that had filled him with the presence of his wings was being let out of a new puncture wound in his chest.
"They really said that?" he muttered, his voice barely loud enough to hear. What did they think I was gonna do? Hurt the kids? Do I really look that dangerous? He glanced toward the trees, wondering when a teacher would chance a look out a window and hurry down to chase him off. His heart felt heavy enough to prevent flight, even if he did find a high place to jump from. "We should probably go."
"No, wait!" the sharp-eyed boy protested. "We'll tell them you aren't gonna eat us! Then, they have to let you in!"
"It's fine," Callum quickly said, forcing a smile even though there was a growing pressure behind his eyes. "We need to get going. You guys enjoy your recess, okay?"
Quickly, the two left the area, Callum taking quick strides as his feathers retracted into his arms and vanished. Once they were a good distance away, Rayla stopped Callum so she could pull him into a hug.
"Are you okay?" she asked, mentally berating herself as she felt the dejected curve of his spine under her hands. I should've known the school was a bad idea! We're lucky none of the teachers came out…
Callum returned the hug readily, taking a shuddering breath and letting it out slowly. He didn't want to start crying just then. "Yeah," he muttered. "I just…"
He drew back a little to look at her. "Now, I know exactly how you felt when I told Aunt Amaya you were a bloodthirsty monster."
Rayla touched a kiss to his cheek. "That was moons ago, and look at how far we've come since. Those kids will learn the truth about humans, and won't be afraid when they grow up. That's the whole point of our kingdoms' alliance. Besides, I think you already made a good impression on them."
That did coax a smile back to Callum's face. "I guess so." He glanced toward the now-distant collection of trees that made up the school. "The adults will probably be harder to convince."
As they looked back, they noticed a small form hurrying down the path after them. Panting, the sharp-eyed boy from before came to a halt in front of them. "I got…" he gasped. "Your feather…" He held up a single brown feather that must have come off when the kids had tugged at Callum's wings. "Wasn't sure…" Pant. "If you needed it…"
Callum couldn't help but grin at the earnest kid. "Why don't you keep it? Feathers like that are good luck."
The boy stood upright, eyes wide. "Whoa, really? I can keep it?" He held up the feather, which was as long as half of his arm. "Thanks! I'll make a lucky arrow with it."
"You make arrows?" Callum tilted his head. "Aren't you a little young?"
"Nope!" the boy replied. "I'm going to be Silvergrove's next craftman. When I'm older, Ethari's gonna be my teacher."
Rayla gasped. "I remember you! You're Koray, aren't you?"
"It's about time you recognized me," the boy huffed.
"Well, you're so much taller and stronger now," Rayla said smoothly. "Clearly, you've been training."
A smirk easily came to Koray's face. "Sure have! I'm ahead of everyone. Ethari's gotta choose me as his apprentice!" He reached into his bag, pulling out a small, glinting item. It was a cleaned and clumsily-carved bone with a shard of metal tied to the end with leather cord. "This is my first shiv!"
Rayla knelt to examine the amateur weapon, suppressing a snicker at the stunned look that was now dominating Callum's face. "That's a fine piece," she said, testing its pressure against a nearby sapling.
"I'm gonna make more and sell them to the others," Koray said. "Then, we can have knife fights during recess."
"What a businessman you are!" Rayla exclaimed while Callum let out a choked sound behind her.
"Uh," Callum coughed. "You'll be making them dull, right? For the knife fights, I mean?"
Koray looked at Callum as if he had just grown a third eye. "Why would anyone want a dull shiv?"
"Right," Callum muttered. "Of course. Silly me."
"Anyway." Koray pocketed the feather and put the shiv back in his bag. "I need to go back. Thanks for the feather, human."
"No problem," Callum replied. "And my name's Callum."
"Good name." Koray waved over his shoulder as he ran back toward the school. "Bye!"
"Bye!" Rayla called, turning back to Callum with a fond chuckle. "Cute kid. We should introduce him to Ezran." She tilted her head at her boyfriend's expression. "What?"
"Are knife fights a normal thing for kids here?" Callum wondered, more than a little concerned.
"It depends." Rayla shrugged nonchalantly. "I always preferred daggers."
The look of vivid horror on Callum's face was enough to make her laugh out loud. "Relax, I'm joking. Actual weapons are forbidden unless you're officially training. The teachers will put a stop to it."
"Oh, good," Callum sighed, his posture relaxing at last. "Wait, why didn't you tell him that?"
Rayla waved dismissively. "Kids need to make their own mistakes. Besides, even if there aren't any fights, he may be able to make a bit of coin before he's caught."
"Huh." Callum still couldn't wrap his head around the idea. At Koray's age, he had been practicing with wooden weapons, and likely would have been grounded for a month if his parents had found something like a shiv in his possession.
I guess it's just another cultural difference, he thought as the two started walking again. Still, it makes me wonder just how lenient Rayla would be as a mom…
His cheeks burned as he realized what he had just thought. Okay. WAY too soon to be thinking anything along those lines! Back it up, Callum. Back it up.
Rayla noticed the oddly-flustered look on Callum's face and took his hand again. "Still thinking about before?" she asked.
"Uh, yeah!" Callum replied, his voice a little high.
"Don't worry," Rayla said. "It's like we've said: It'll take time. Look at how easily Koray took to you. We're already off to a good start."
"You're right." Callum squeezed her hand and took the opportunity to change the subject. "So, we got moonberry surprises from your favorite place, and got to see your school. Is there anything else you wanted to do? Any birthday traditions?"
Rayla's smile faded a little. "I only really ever had one tradition. My parents would always send me a letter on my birthday, and I'd get the day off from training to write back. I'd tell them about what Runaan taught me, the books Ethari was getting for me, how much I missed them…"
Callum noticed a stray tear trailing down Rayla's cheek, and reached over to gently wipe it away. He let go of her hand in favor of wrapping his arm comfortingly around her shoulders. She leaned gladly into him as they walked. "Do you want to write one today?" he asked.
"What's the point?" Rayla murmured. "They're gone."
"That doesn't mean you can't talk to them," Callum insisted. "I talk to my parents all the time, usually before I go to sleep. It's kinda like praying. It makes me feel better." He squeezed her shoulder. "That's just me, though. You should do whatever works for you."
"I may write something tonight." Rayla kissed Callum's cheek. "But right now, I'd rather do something fun."
"What kind of fun?"
Rayla grinned. "Fun in the form of tiny, fuzzy rainbows!"
"YES!" Callum's entire being seemed to light up. "Adoraburrs, here we come!"
They stopped briefly at Ethari's to get some food. Ethari was in his workshop, a pair of glasses on as he mended the link of a very fine golden chain. Callum stopped to watch while Rayla went to get the food.
"How are you enjoying Silvergrove?" Ethari asked, not taking his eyes off the chain as he used some tiny pliers to straighten the link.
"It's really pretty," Callum said, sitting down on a box. "The school was something else, but I found out that no humans are allowed inside."
Ethari noted the sadness in Callum's tone and paused in his work to turn around. "Old attitudes won't change overnight."
"I know," Callum sighed. "It just hurts. I'd like to talk to Chieftain Artemis at some point. If I can arrange a meeting with some of the other ambassadors here, the Moonshadow elves might not be so scared of us. Queen Zubeia and I have been thinking of good communities to reach out to, and I think I'll ask if we can add Silvergrove to that list."
"A fine idea." Ethari nodded. A thought occurred to him, and a joking smile came to his face. "Just so you know: When you visit the Earthblood communities, I advise against wearing branches on your head."
"Why?" Callum asked, his face the picture of innocence. "Would that get in the way of signing our peace treety?
The corner of Ethari's mouth twitched further upward. "Certainly. It would be a treemendous disaster.
"Well, now I'm stumped as to how I'll fit in!"
"Let me go out on a limb here, and-"
"Nope."
The two looked up at the stairs, where a thoroughly unamused Rayla was standing. "It's my birthday," she said. "And I say no terrible puns."
Callum folded his arms. "Oh yeah? And what defines a terrible pun?"
"Perhaps," Ethari suggested. "We can confir about that later."
"Ugh." Rayla marched down the stairs, grabbing Callum by the arm and dragging him toward the door. "We're going to the meadow. Bye, Ethari."
"Bye," Ethari called. "Go easy on him, Rayla. You might burr-eak his arm!"
Callum burst out laughing while Rayla let out a long-suffering groan, shutting the door behind her. "I don't know who's the worse influence here," she muttered.
"What?" Callum asked, still grinning widely. "Aren't you happy we're getting along so well?"
"At what cost, I wonder," Rayla sighed.
The two left Silvergrove and trekked toward the meadow of adoraburrs. They fell into a companionable silence, walking close and holding hands when on a path, helping each other over obstacles when necessary, and enjoying the warm sunlight and soothing forest breeze.
Finally, they could see the familiar clearing in the distance. Rayla's practiced ears picked up on the tiny squeaks the adoraburrs were always making. Her smile widened with anticipation.
"Ooh, Rayla!" Callum said, stopping just at the edge of the tall grass. "Wanna have a contest?"
"Always!" Rayla replied immediately. "What kind?"
"We jump into the meadow, and see who gets the most adoraburrs on them on the first roll!"
"You're on!" Rayla placed their lunch bag on the ground and readied herself. "On your mark, get set… Jump!"
The two took simultaneous running leaps into the meadow, landing in the sea of grass amid many surprised squeaks. They rolled around, laughing as the soft critters tickled their skin and clung to their clothes. They sat up, their mirth doubling as they looked at each other.
Callum had a full adoraburr afro, along with several more that were hugging his shoulders and arms. Rayla's hair was weighed down with the rainbow fuzzies, and her horns had several perching cheerfully at the tips.
"You win," Rayla conceded, giggling as Callum sneezed a burr off his nose.
"Must be the clothes," he said, holding up his adoraburr-coated arm. "I used to pick up regular, non-adorable burrs all the time as a kid." He held a little blue one up and tickled it, smiling at the giggly chirp it let out. "Ez would love these little guys. Next time he gets a vacation, we're so bringing him here!"
"Agreed!" Rayla started pulling the adoraburrs out of her hair, stacking them in patterns as she did so. Red, blue, green, yellow… "Zym too. I think we might be able to convince Queen Zubeia by then."
"We should bring him back one of those mini moonberry surprises when we go back," Callum suggested. "He'd love that!"
"Good idea." Rayla managed to stack ten adoraburrs before they sprang apart and fell back into the grass.
The two played with the adoraburrs well into the evening, when they stopped to eat the crescent roll sandwiches Rayla had packed, along with a few swigs of moonberry juice. The adoraburrs clustered around them, hoping to snatch a few crumbs. Callum ended up feeding over half of his sandwich to them.
"Okay, that's all!" He crammed the rest of his food into his mouth, so he wouldn't be tempted to give up any more.
Rayla laughed. "I would've thought you'd be immune to begging like that after growing up with Bait."
"I mean," Callum said after swallowing. "Bait has his own grumpy, curmudgeon-y cuteness, but he's no adoraburr."
"True." Rayla gave the rest of her food to the hopeful little creatures before lying back in the grass. She readily wrapped an arm around Callum's midsection as he lay down next to her. "Hello, there."
"Hi." Callum kissed her cheek. "Having a good birthday?"
"The best." Rayla scooted closer, touching a quick, gentle kiss to his lips. "I'm glad you were able to come with me."
Callum eagerly followed her lips, giving her a second, lingering kiss. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything."
Rayla snuggled against Callum's side, nuzzling against his shoulder. "Let's stay here until the stars come out."
"Sounds good." Callum relaxed into the grass as several adoraburrs made themselves comfortable around him. "Just wondering: Are there any summer constellations that don't have to do with Garlath the Annihilator?"
"Uh…" Rayla paused. "I'm sure I can think of one…"
"Elves really like Garlath, huh?" Callum yawned as a few more adoraburrs made a fluffy pillow under his head.
"Yeah. It's comforting, you know?" Rayla looking up through the trees as the sun sank lower, painting the sky several shades of purple and red. "Having the most fearsome of elven warriors watching over you from the night sky."
"That…" Callum paused, considering this. "Okay, that actually makes sense." His eyes drifted shut as he hugged Rayla closer.
"You're not falling asleep, are you?" Rayla piped up, poking his cheek. "I'm not carrying you back, you know."
"Sorry," Callum mumbled. "Between you and the adoraburrs, this is just really comfy. Don't worry, I'm just dozing a little."
Rayla rolled her eyes, smiling fondly. She brushed Callum's hair back, nearly dislodging a sleepy adoraburr in the process. Settling back into the grass, she savored the feeling of her little rainbow friends beneath her and her boyfriend's arms wrapped snugly around her. As the first day of her next year of life came to an end, Rayla knew that she couldn't have asked for a better beginning.
The mention of Garlath is a reference to the stargazing scene that was acted out at the San Diego Comic-Con, but didn't make it into season 3. It's on Youtube, if you haven't seen it.
Balancing the fluffy and angsty aspects of this fic has been fun. The seesaw will be tipping a bit more into angst territory next chapter, so be warned.
Until then, peace out!