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Authors: Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
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tonight and perhaps, never again.
- Chapter Four -
A Guided Tour and a Day of Mischief
Jahrra was famished the next morning and for once it was her stomach that woke her up and not Jaax or some horrible replaying of her memories. When she opened her eyes she was surprised to find only Phrym standing above her, gazing down with his smoky eyes as if to inquire about breakfast. When all she did was blink at him, he nudged her with a velvety nose, rumbling as he did so. Jahrra laughed and pushed him away.
“Alright,” she grumbled good-naturedly. “You don’t know where Jaax went, do you?”
Of course he only stared at her then dragged his hoof into the leafy earth. The gleeful shouts of children playing and the sharp tang of smoke filled the air. Jahrra found a clean set of clothes and ducked behind a niche in the alcove to change. Once she had her boots on, she slipped Phrym’s bridle over his forehead and led him down the narrow path that wove through the trees.
As she walked Jahrra thought about how nice it would be to stay in single place for more than one night. Her ankle and knee were finally healed, the bruises having disappeared a few weeks ago, but on cold, foggy mornings such as this one they were sometimes stiff. By the time she reached the outskirts of the village, however, she felt like she could run a mile.
Pale gray plumes of smoke rose from several of the huts scattered about the village of Crie and even more young Resai elves dashed around, chasing chickens and wayward livestock as their dogs barked merrily behind them. Jahrra couldn’t help but smile. It reminded her very much of home. The adults, looking groggy and a little ruffled, moved about more slowly collecting eggs or milking goats. Some looked to still be in their sleeping clothes as they scurried after the children in order to drag them back to finish their chores.
As Jahrra scanned the scene before her she caught sight of Jaax talking to Aydehn. She took a deep breath and started walking in that direction, half afraid she would get mobbed again. Phrym followed behind her like a loyal dog as she made her way down the center of town.
More than half of the Resai stopped what they were doing to watch her but to her profound relief, no one stood up to follow. She took this chance to study them. They all had hair in one shade of brown or another and the pointed ears she had grown so familiar with back home. The one thing she noticed about these people was their height. On the whole, they were shorter than the Resai elves in the southern part of Oescienne and their features were softer, not as angled. She wondered why but didn’t think too long on it because her very next step brought her before Jaax and Aydehn.
“Well good morning to you, Jahrra!” Aydehn proclaimed. “Sleep well?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied.
“I’m very pleased to hear it. You must be hungry. Would you like to join me and my wife for breakfast?”
Jahrra glanced at Jaax and he nodded. “I won’t need to eat for a few more days and I think it would be a very good idea for Jahrra to get to know you better.”
Gulping down her nerves, Jahrra said, “Alright. But Phrym needs breakfast too.”
“Of course!” Aydehn said. “Emrel! Could you come here for a moment?”
A young Resai man, perhaps ten years older than Jahrra, stepped out of the hut just on the other side of Aydehn’s.
“Yes, Uncle?” he asked.
“Have Thera and Romm take Jahrra’s semequin to the mid-pastures so that he may graze.”
Emrel glanced at Jahrra, then his eyes widened.
“Of course,” he murmured as he ducked back into his home.
“My dear nephew,” Aydehn said with a little sadness. “His wife died almost six years ago while giving birth to their third child. Little Phaea survived but Emrel has never quite got over it.”
Jahrra frowned in sympathy. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one.
The door of Emrel’s hut flew open and two children, Thera and Romm
- Chapter Four -
A Guided Tour and a Day of Mischief
Jahrra was famished the next morning and for once it was her stomach that woke her up and not Jaax or some horrible replaying of her memories. When she opened her eyes she was surprised to find only Phrym standing above her, gazing down with his smoky eyes as if to inquire about breakfast. When all she did was blink at him, he nudged her with a velvety nose, rumbling as he did so. Jahrra laughed and pushed him away.
“Alright,” she grumbled good-naturedly. “You don’t know where Jaax went, do you?”
Of course he only stared at her then dragged his hoof into the leafy earth. The gleeful shouts of children playing and the sharp tang of smoke filled the air. Jahrra found a clean set of clothes and ducked behind a niche in the alcove to change. Once she had her boots on, she slipped Phrym’s bridle over his forehead and led him down the narrow path that wove through the trees.
As she walked Jahrra thought about how nice it would be to stay in single place for more than one night. Her ankle and knee were finally healed, the bruises having disappeared a few weeks ago, but on cold, foggy mornings such as this one they were sometimes stiff. By the time she reached the outskirts of the village, however, she felt like she could run a mile.
Pale gray plumes of smoke rose from several of the huts scattered about the village of Crie and even more young Resai elves dashed around, chasing chickens and wayward livestock as their dogs barked merrily behind them. Jahrra couldn’t help but smile. It reminded her very much of home. The adults, looking groggy and a little ruffled, moved about more slowly collecting eggs or milking goats. Some looked to still be in their sleeping clothes as they scurried after the children in order to drag them back to finish their chores.
As Jahrra scanned the scene before her she caught sight of Jaax talking to Aydehn. She took a deep breath and started walking in that direction, half afraid she would get mobbed again. Phrym followed behind her like a loyal dog as she made her way down the center of town.
More than half of the Resai stopped what they were doing to watch her but to her profound relief, no one stood up to follow. She took this chance to study them. They all had hair in one shade of brown or another and the pointed ears she had grown so familiar with back home. The one thing she noticed about these people was their height. On the whole, they were shorter than the Resai elves in the southern part of Oescienne and their features were softer, not as angled. She wondered why but didn’t think too long on it because her very next step brought her before Jaax and Aydehn.
“Well good morning to you, Jahrra!” Aydehn proclaimed. “Sleep well?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied.
“I’m very pleased to hear it. You must be hungry. Would you like to join me and my wife for breakfast?”
Jahrra glanced at Jaax and he nodded. “I won’t need to eat for a few more days and I think it would be a very good idea for Jahrra to get to know you better.”
Gulping down her nerves, Jahrra said, “Alright. But Phrym needs breakfast too.”
“Of course!” Aydehn said. “Emrel! Could you come here for a moment?”
A young Resai man, perhaps ten years older than Jahrra, stepped out of the hut just on the other side of Aydehn’s.
“Yes, Uncle?” he asked.
“Have Thera and Romm take Jahrra’s semequin to the mid-pastures so that he may graze.”
Emrel glanced at Jahrra, then his eyes widened.
“Of course,” he murmured as he ducked back into his home.
“My dear nephew,” Aydehn said with a little sadness. “His wife died almost six years ago while giving birth to their third child. Little Phaea survived but Emrel has never quite got over it.”
Jahrra frowned in sympathy. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one.
The door of Emrel’s hut flew open and two children, Thera and Romm
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