Aaerynn watched the broad back of the scribbler as he moved past her. Fine? A little bruising? Her eyes narrowed as he continued forward and began taking off his equipment. She had seen him. She had seen that arrow in his chest. He may have had a chest plate, but it still would have reached flesh. It still would have cut him. In fact, as she continued to observe him with cold eyes, things began to not make sense. The blood on his shirt was red, fresh still, yet no cut was on his skin. Nothing but an opened shirt and a scar. There were other things she had noticed, yet kept somewhere in the back of her mind.
For instance, he had stayed up all night with the watch. As an elf not sleeping for a night didn’t hinder her as badly as a human. Red had slept most of the morning in a cart before the ambush, providing more support to her thoughts. Yet she knew the scribbler hadn’t even taken a break. He kept at it all day and he didn’t even seem tired. Even as he began to rest on the grass, she knew it wasn’t from fatigue.
Her lips pursed in thought and her eyebrows furrowed. There was something strange going on.
Eventually her gaze left the scribbler and she walked back to where Rudolf was presiding. It was bothering her, and it made her curious but she didn’t care enough to pursue it. As long as the scribbler minded his own business, and as long as it didn’t endanger Rudolf, she didn’t care. She paused though, giving him one last glance before walking over to where Red and Rudolf were playing some sort of game.
Where Tirian had stopped after one mug, Rudolf continued. A few glasses had been chugged down and as Aaerynn approached, he turned to her, revealing a red face and glinting eyes. A feeling of dread began to fill the very core of the wood elf. Her frown couldn’t be any deeper as she walked closer and groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re drunk.”
“Aaaaaah, Lil’ Ryn…come round, come… Let me see you, you beautiful thing you.” The dwarf gave a cheesy grin and Aaerynn’s fists clenched in annoyance. Her frigid eyes glared down the red head, knowing it must have been his fault. Yet she came closer, every muscle tensed with pure irritation. There was no dealing with a drunken Rudolf.
“Everyone is healed up. I just want my payment Rudolf.” She said it plainly, hoping he would just comply with her wishes. But it was never that easy, not with a drunk dwarf.
“Aaaaaaaaaaah….I see. I see. That’s good. That’s pretty gooood. Yeah.” The dwarf continued nodding and the wood elf was about to pop a blood vessel.
Rudolf opened his eyes and looked over to Tirian who was still throwing horse shoes. “I gots an idea.”
Aaerynn shook with annoyance. “No. No ideas Rudolf. Just pay me. Like. You. Said.”
The drunken dwarf grinned wide. “Pshhh, I will Rynie Ryn Ryynn. But, but! Let’s uh…Let’s make a little…a little deal. Y’see, I was uh…I was playing horseshoes…so uh…how about…I pay you double…if you play!”
Aaerynn’s eyes shifted from the dwarf to the stick shoved into the earth that the red head was trying to hit with a horse shoe. Finally her gaze came back to the dwarf. “No. Give me the money dwarf. I’m not playing some silly human game.”
“Oh but Ryn! I can’t just pay you. You see, all the money is in the game… You play you get double, no play and I will be sad…Real sad, so no money!” Rudolf gave her that same idiotic smile and it took all the willpower in the elf to not hit it straight off his face.
Aaerynn tensed up, grinding her teeth a bit at the situation. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Rudolf waggled his big hairy eyebrows. “Or you know, I wouldn’t mind…a sneak peek.”
He pursed his lips in a kissy face and made a rude gesture to her bust. Aaerynn immediately grabbed the horseshoe that Rudolf had been holding, shoving him slightly to the side. “I’ll do it.”
She stomped over to where the sheet was, making Red get out of her way. “I just have to hit the stupid stick, right?”
Rudolf grinned wide and nodded enthusiastically. Aaerynn grimaced, as she looked back at the stick. This was humiliating. And stupid. Definitely really fucking stupid. But she wanted that money and if this got the fat dwarf to shut up and hand her double…she’d do it.
Aaerynn winded her arm back, and threw the horse shoe over hand. It immediately over shot the stick, bouncing a few times across the dirt. Aaerynn just stood there, slightly dumbfounded as Rudolf burst open with laughter.
Her eyes shifted to Tirian and she grabbed the horse shoe from his hand. Then she tried again, another over shot and the wood elf made an audible groan.
“This is stupid!” she exclaimed, yet ran over to get the horse shoes and try again.
Serna had picked her head up at the exclamation of a game. The headache had become slightly more bearable. She watched as Tirian struck a stick into the earth and began tossing horseshoes. The girl forced a smile on her face through the pain and looked to her brother, seeing the same distanced expression. “Look Set, horseshoes. Remember when we would play with Father on summer nights? He would always beat us. But when we worked together, we beat him every time. Sometimes I think he let us win on purpose though.” She whispered to her brother happily, hoping that something would spark his interest.
She watched as Aaerynn took a horseshoe and tried, failing horribly. Serna put a hand to her lips to muffle a giggle. “Poor Miss Aaerynn…she isn’t very good. Someone should tell her to toss underhand…”
Serna looked in her brother’s face, but there was no change. His eyes were still clouded, and Serna did her best to keep her smile on her face. She stood up, wanting to do something so she wouldn’t focus on the ache in her head or her brother’s distance. The smile remained on her lips. Her mother had always told her that women would experience all kinds of pain in their lifetime. But if they were able to keep a smile on their lips, they would have the strength to endure it.
Serna would endure it.
As she walked along the spring’s edge, her eyes caught sight of wild flowers blooming. An idea of its own blossomed in her head. The bouquet she had been making was lost during the bandit fight, and she had nearly forgotten why she had been making it. Her smile turned brighter as she ran over and began picking flowers. Wild irises and purple gerardia were thriving on the edge of the water and she picked a few carefully. Iris roots were poisonous, so she was sure to leave them be as she used the dagger her brother had given her to cut some stems free.
Carrying a bundle of flowers with her, she began to search through the edge of the forest. Sure enough, she found lily of the valley and she plucked a few before returning to her brother. Then she began to set to work on the purple gerardia, weaving it together in braids that showed off the flowers.
After a while of work, Serna’s eyes looked around the camp. A few hours had passed since the bandits, and everyone seemed to be relaxing in their own way. Perhaps it was a good time to make an early dinner. She stood and approached Rudolf with all of her courage, who was eager to see her and even more eager to hear the news of food. He pointed to the food stock cart and Serna ventured alone to it. She opened the canvas and was surprised to see it filled with all kinds of ingredients.
Serna took a deep breath and pulled back her long hair as she grabbed a hold of a heavy bag of rice. She dragged it out toward the camp fire and filled a pot with it and spring water. She added herbs and chicken stock as well as a few vegetables and soon the rice porridge was cooking. It would be good to fill everyone up, and the herbs would help those healing injuries.
The young girl was constantly at work, she didn’t waste any time preparing this or that. It was obvious that she was far from lazy as she poured the porridge herself into bowls. Then she began her quest, she picked up a flower with each bowl and began handing them out.
She approached the Desert elf first, setting the bowl down with the flower as to not interrupt his practice. She bowed slightly in respect. “Th-thank you for helping my brother!”
Serna didn’t stay as she continued to Caelis and Faith who had returned to the forest. With Caelis’ bowl was a purple iris. She bowed again. “Th-Thank you for h-helping my brother d-during his fight.”
She set the bowls down and scurried away. With Vordan’s bowl, she approached cautiously. She stayed a good feet away as she placed the bowl down with a lily of the valley. She lowered her head and was only able to murmur a “Th-thank you.”
She didn’t want to bother him so she left quickly, not wanting to see him probably reject it. Next was Aaerynn who was still attempting to strike the stick with a horseshoe. At the smell of food though, the wood elf turned to see the girl standing there with a bowl and a lily. Aaerynn took the bowl but looked at the flower with disinterest.
Serna bowed her head, holding the flower out. “Th-thank you for helping with my b-brother’s injuries! Please accept this as thanks.”
Aaerynn loosened up but continued to stare at it. “I don’t want it.”
The girl flinched but continued holding it out. “Please…”
Aaerynn’s eyes took in the sight of the girl. The little girl’s face was pained and probably close to tears. She wasn’t quite sure what made her do it, but Aaerynn finally took the flower. Serna looked up with bright eyes, and smiled. Aaerynn grimaced and watched the girl run off. She looked at the flower, before tucking it behind her ear. Why waste it?
Serna finally went to Rudolf and Tirian, giving them bowls. But then the girl held out a stem of gerardia flowers to the red head. She merely smiled as she gave it to him. “I hope the pain eases o-over time.” She said softly to him, before bowing her head in respect.
With that, she returned to her brother, setting a bowl in front of him. The girl frowned though as Setna remained unchanged. Slowly she sat down with her own bowl, but didn’t touch it. Instead she took the braiding of gerardia she had made and tied it to her wrist. With the matching braid she tied it around her brother’s wrist. She sat in front of her brother and took his hands in her’s. “Happy day of birth Setna.” She whispered quietly. “I wanted to make these earlier…but we got interrupted. I’m glad I got them done with dinner.”
Her dark eyes gazed into her brother’s. “Um let’s see…we should say the prayer right?”
Gently the girl placed her forehead against her brother’s and closed her eyes. “Thank you God of Creation for this year of life. Thank you God of Destruction for ignoring my soul’s cry. Forgive me fate for the days I’ve wasted, and allow us the sun’s.”
Serna opened her eyes and noticed only a slight change in her brother, so she smiled. “Now if Father was here, he would tell us that story again, right? The day of our birth. Remember the story? Mother was in labor for hours on end. And they both swear that it was the hottest day of the summer to ever have existed. But although Mother was in such pain, the midwife was busy in another home for another birth and Father…” Serna smiled although her eyes filled with tears. “Father was so angry, he swears this on his life, that it was his threat that made the other woman’s baby come out and the midwife had to sprint over…what was it—.”
“To ignore the wife of a General! If the midwife doesn’t come here, I will slaughter her, and I will make sure future babies will be born in fear by having them be born into my arms instead!”
Serna’s eyes widened at the matching voice to her words, and she looked up to see her brother responsive, the light returned to his eyes. A bright smile lit up her face as Setna’s arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. Setna buried his face into his sister’s hair. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.”
Serna shook her head, holding her brother close. “Don’t worry…don’t worry…don’t worry…” She replied to each of his apologies.
Setna pulled back, wiping his eyes, a smile on his lips. “Once we were born Father challenged all of Syndarea to see who ever else’s wife could give her husband a boy and a girl on the same day.”
Serna giggled. “I’m just glad you were born first.”
Setna just grinned, a laugh in his voice. “You were only a few minutes behind.”
The twins both laughed happily and Setna picked up his bowl, eating ravenously. He even ate his sister’s before he stood. “Right! No time to sit and mope anymore. I want to play horseshoes and I challenge you all to see who’s better!”
Serna smiled wide in relief, glad to see her brother full of life again and she eagerly followed him to the horse shoe set, wanting to play as well.