A whole new world
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 2:10 pm
"Aranel, I'm sure no one saw." a tall female elf stood towering over him from his place in the dirt.
"Yeah right!" he spoke a bit too harshly. He regretted it instantly but he was far too stubborn to admit it so he sat in on the ground just slightly off the dirt path as his sister went to get the horse.
"Aranel," she chided when she returned, rubbing the horse's nose. "No one is born knowing how to ride. Everyone falls off, its part of learning."
"Well I don't like people to see me learning then," the elf child grunted. "No one ever sees you learning, Firl."
"That's because I learned half a century ago, now get out of the damned dirt before mama thinks you were wrestling with boars again."
The boy stood up reluctantly. His sister was right, he knew, but he hated when she was right. She was always being right, it just messed things up. Someday he would be older and then he would be right all the time too. He sighed as Firladiel helped him back up on the horse.
"See how he reacts to you? Reassure him, talk to him. He's not going to just like you if he doesn't know who you are."
"I know, sister. You just told me that ten minutes ago." He slouched over the horse's neck and whispered in it's ear, then he giggled and looked back at his sister as he urged the horse down the dirt path.
"Keep your ankles down! Don't squeeze too tight with your legs!" Firladiel shouted back to him but it was obvious he wasn't listening. He'll do things his own way, she decided as she walked up the path to his next inevitable fall from grace.
* * * *
A tall blonde elf with muscular build sat bareback astride a healthy palomino horse. His piercing green eyes scanned the forest as the golden mount slowly walked up the path.
"Don't tell me you can't feel her eyes," he said to the horse as he stroked it's neck. "She's out there. And worse yet, she's such a little spy. If she thinks she-" The horse stopped. The elf turned his head to see what was the matter and he was met by the upside-down grinning face of his sister nearly a hand's width from his nose.
"I what, Aranel?" she laughed, her green eyes sparkling. "You're so predictable."
"Well you're not." he almost had to force himself to appear angry. "I think you like being so smug. It's not healthy." In reply she put her hands to his shoulders and let go of the tree branch with her legs. Using his shoulders as a boost she landed lightly on her feet behind him.
"I'm not smug, Aranel. You're so easy to tease." She pushed some long blonde hair behind an elegantly pointed ear. Her smile was captivating. "I pity the woman who bears your children, they'll all be exactly like you."
"And what of you Firl?" he helped her up to sit in front of him on the horse.
"Who said I wanted children? You're too much of a handful as it is, why would I want to take care of more brats?" She urged the horse forward into a steady gallop, the music of her laughter filling the woods around them.
"You don't want a family?"
"I have a family. You and mama..." she reached her hand back and messed up his hair. He growled in her ear but she knew he was smiling. He may be cold to some but he always let his guard down with her.
When the two elves reached the hut Aranel cleaned and readied fish fresh from the lake beside their camp. In the kitchen his sister was preparing a good spring meal for their mother when she came home; carrots were boiling in a sweet sause, potatos were on a rack above the fire and she had her hands in a bowl of flour and spices. When Aranel brought the fish in she pointed to a spot on the counter beside her and he cut the fish into good sized proportions. They made a good team, even cooking in the kitchen with many meals under their belts as their mother was usually the only midwife for a league or more and always in demand.
Firladiel slid the sheet of metal over the fire and put the carrots aside to cool. The fish were laid out on the pan evenly and the hut smelled delicious. Aranel bent over the carrots and his sister kicked his leg.
"Don't even think about it, mama will be home any minute and then we can all eat together," she ordered. He stuck his finger in the carrots anyway and popped one in his mouth. Firladiel gasped in mock horror but Aranel gasped in pain. The carrots were still hot. The elfess laughed at her younger brother. "Serves you right, I warned you." Aranel grunted and with lightening quick reflexes he grabbed a handfull of the leftover flour and tossed it at her, covering her face and shoulders. "How dare you!" she squealed and she reached for the bowl. She tossed the remaining contents over his head as he picked up a dirty wooden spoon and knocked it out of her hand. Too late. The flour mixture covered the entire kitchen area, and they both bent over in laughter. Firladiel picked up the bowl just as the door opened and both of them froze, looking guilty as sin. The elfess that came in shook her head and pulled her hood down.
"Dinner is almost ready, I take it?" she asked. They both nodded, still trying to look innocent as their mother went back out the door.
At the dinner table, they all ate in silence as was their custom. The bowls and plates were almost empty when their mother spoke first.
"Have you decided?" she directed the question at the both of them. Firladiel cleared her throat.
"We'll leave together." she replied.
"I figured as much. I don't think either of you could survive for long without the other. It's my fault for raising you to be so dependant on eachother." the head of the household pushed her plate away. "Dinner was excellent. At least you won't starve."
"You should come with us, mama," Aranel smiled charmingly.
"Leave the forest? Now, with all my years and hard work here? I don't think so, but thank you for offering. The time for you both to leave will be soon, when spring passes. Are you ready?"
"I think so," Aranel replied.
"I am," Firladiel said. "I've been ready for months."
"What do you expect to find out there?" her mother inquired.
"I don't know, but whatever it is I want to see it. We'll come back, mama. I promise." She looked at her brother, who just nodded.
"I'm not sure I'm ready," the elfess smiled at her children who had grown into fine adults. "I'm not sure the world is ready for the two of you." With that she stood and kissed them each on the forhead before disappearing into the next room.
"Yeah right!" he spoke a bit too harshly. He regretted it instantly but he was far too stubborn to admit it so he sat in on the ground just slightly off the dirt path as his sister went to get the horse.
"Aranel," she chided when she returned, rubbing the horse's nose. "No one is born knowing how to ride. Everyone falls off, its part of learning."
"Well I don't like people to see me learning then," the elf child grunted. "No one ever sees you learning, Firl."
"That's because I learned half a century ago, now get out of the damned dirt before mama thinks you were wrestling with boars again."
The boy stood up reluctantly. His sister was right, he knew, but he hated when she was right. She was always being right, it just messed things up. Someday he would be older and then he would be right all the time too. He sighed as Firladiel helped him back up on the horse.
"See how he reacts to you? Reassure him, talk to him. He's not going to just like you if he doesn't know who you are."
"I know, sister. You just told me that ten minutes ago." He slouched over the horse's neck and whispered in it's ear, then he giggled and looked back at his sister as he urged the horse down the dirt path.
"Keep your ankles down! Don't squeeze too tight with your legs!" Firladiel shouted back to him but it was obvious he wasn't listening. He'll do things his own way, she decided as she walked up the path to his next inevitable fall from grace.
* * * *
A tall blonde elf with muscular build sat bareback astride a healthy palomino horse. His piercing green eyes scanned the forest as the golden mount slowly walked up the path.
"Don't tell me you can't feel her eyes," he said to the horse as he stroked it's neck. "She's out there. And worse yet, she's such a little spy. If she thinks she-" The horse stopped. The elf turned his head to see what was the matter and he was met by the upside-down grinning face of his sister nearly a hand's width from his nose.
"I what, Aranel?" she laughed, her green eyes sparkling. "You're so predictable."
"Well you're not." he almost had to force himself to appear angry. "I think you like being so smug. It's not healthy." In reply she put her hands to his shoulders and let go of the tree branch with her legs. Using his shoulders as a boost she landed lightly on her feet behind him.
"I'm not smug, Aranel. You're so easy to tease." She pushed some long blonde hair behind an elegantly pointed ear. Her smile was captivating. "I pity the woman who bears your children, they'll all be exactly like you."
"And what of you Firl?" he helped her up to sit in front of him on the horse.
"Who said I wanted children? You're too much of a handful as it is, why would I want to take care of more brats?" She urged the horse forward into a steady gallop, the music of her laughter filling the woods around them.
"You don't want a family?"
"I have a family. You and mama..." she reached her hand back and messed up his hair. He growled in her ear but she knew he was smiling. He may be cold to some but he always let his guard down with her.
When the two elves reached the hut Aranel cleaned and readied fish fresh from the lake beside their camp. In the kitchen his sister was preparing a good spring meal for their mother when she came home; carrots were boiling in a sweet sause, potatos were on a rack above the fire and she had her hands in a bowl of flour and spices. When Aranel brought the fish in she pointed to a spot on the counter beside her and he cut the fish into good sized proportions. They made a good team, even cooking in the kitchen with many meals under their belts as their mother was usually the only midwife for a league or more and always in demand.
Firladiel slid the sheet of metal over the fire and put the carrots aside to cool. The fish were laid out on the pan evenly and the hut smelled delicious. Aranel bent over the carrots and his sister kicked his leg.
"Don't even think about it, mama will be home any minute and then we can all eat together," she ordered. He stuck his finger in the carrots anyway and popped one in his mouth. Firladiel gasped in mock horror but Aranel gasped in pain. The carrots were still hot. The elfess laughed at her younger brother. "Serves you right, I warned you." Aranel grunted and with lightening quick reflexes he grabbed a handfull of the leftover flour and tossed it at her, covering her face and shoulders. "How dare you!" she squealed and she reached for the bowl. She tossed the remaining contents over his head as he picked up a dirty wooden spoon and knocked it out of her hand. Too late. The flour mixture covered the entire kitchen area, and they both bent over in laughter. Firladiel picked up the bowl just as the door opened and both of them froze, looking guilty as sin. The elfess that came in shook her head and pulled her hood down.
"Dinner is almost ready, I take it?" she asked. They both nodded, still trying to look innocent as their mother went back out the door.
At the dinner table, they all ate in silence as was their custom. The bowls and plates were almost empty when their mother spoke first.
"Have you decided?" she directed the question at the both of them. Firladiel cleared her throat.
"We'll leave together." she replied.
"I figured as much. I don't think either of you could survive for long without the other. It's my fault for raising you to be so dependant on eachother." the head of the household pushed her plate away. "Dinner was excellent. At least you won't starve."
"You should come with us, mama," Aranel smiled charmingly.
"Leave the forest? Now, with all my years and hard work here? I don't think so, but thank you for offering. The time for you both to leave will be soon, when spring passes. Are you ready?"
"I think so," Aranel replied.
"I am," Firladiel said. "I've been ready for months."
"What do you expect to find out there?" her mother inquired.
"I don't know, but whatever it is I want to see it. We'll come back, mama. I promise." She looked at her brother, who just nodded.
"I'm not sure I'm ready," the elfess smiled at her children who had grown into fine adults. "I'm not sure the world is ready for the two of you." With that she stood and kissed them each on the forhead before disappearing into the next room.