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As the rose-colored sunbeams began to reach the bottom of the forest floor, so was our journey to Amalith coming to an end. Isioleth rapped on the carriage door to wake us.
"Come on out," she called in her husky voice. Then she took a false distinguished tone. "The, uh, bride wishes to see you." Ralenthra was wary, I could tell, but silently, she stepped out of her side of the carriage. I did too, and took it in, the place I lived in for the happiest eighteen years of my life. The village of Amalith was almost entirely up in the great trees of the High Forest, with beautiful elven villas built into and around the trees in perfect harmony connected by sturdy rope-and-wood bridges and to the ground by an elaborate pulley system. On the ground, some space had been cleared for the upcoming reception and colored lanterns on strings were hung all about from tree to tree. Amalith is an almost totally self-sufficient commune, made up of a few families (all elven of some variety), subsisting on sustainable hunting and foraging for food. Many work as craftspeople or sell wares in nearby Olostin's Hold. It is thoroughly grounded in a love of nature, as a druid circle led by my Aunt Ariel is based here.
"It hasn't changed a bit." I said happily. Isioleth slapped me on my back. "Yeah, I know. I can't wait to get back to Hilltop, as boring as that one-mule town is."
Isendur caught up to us. "Now, Isioleth. I'm sure that Drogan will keep us plenty busy with our studies. And Hilltop is nice country, with nice people."
Isioleth scoffed. "You just say that because you like that Haniah girl who works for the mayor. At least you have Dorna to compete with! Xanos and that dumb paladin Mischa, we don't really have much in common."
"At least Xanos makes you laugh...and you're right, Mischa is pretty stupid."
We stepped onto the platform that would take us to the Lorien villa. Isendur grasped the rope and turned to Ralenthra. "I hope you don't mind heights, Miss Aerynrae." Just then, we heard a whistle. "Hold up," called out Tordrin, "is there room for one more?" I looked at Ralenthra, who was a little flushed, though I'm not sure if it was Tordrin drawing near to her (to conserve space, I'm sure) or the heights we were starting to experience.
As we reached the top, Ralenthra turned to Isendur and smiled politely. "Could you show me to my room? I need to...sort my things." Isendur shrugged and led her away, with Tordrin watching her as she went. After she was out of sight, Tordrin said, "Miss Isioleth, why don't you walk Seledra to her room. I think I know how this gadget works and I'll bring up some of the others before your brother gets back." She grinned at him "Oh, okay!" and looked at me like "who the hell is this guy" before shrugging. "So", she continued conspiratorially, "how's life in the Big City? Are you having lots of good sex?"
I turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Issey, aren't you still a virgin?"
"Well, yeah, so? It doesn't mean I don't know what sex is. " And then she made obscene gestures with her hands that made us both collapse into giggles. "Don't hold out on me. I wanna hear all the details."
"All right, but when it happens for you, you'd better ante up."
"Takasi! That's not going to happen for a while yet."
"And why not? If I recall, you had to beat the local elven boys off with sticks when I left."
"Yeah, elven boys are boring. I don't care too much for humans either. They just don't do much for me."
"Dwarves?"
"Um, I don't think so."
"Gnomes?"
"Please, we're about to eat lunch, here."
"Halflings?"
"What do you think I am, some kind of pervert?"
"Well what then? Tief-"
"Don't change the subject, Leddie. I can tell there's something going on with you. First off, there's a strapping half-elf talking to Aarin in our kitchen who has brought you up more than once," she winked, "and secondly...secondly with you there is always a human. At least there is when you keep trying to change the subject."
I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Now I know there's a human. Fess up."
I groaned. "He's just a boy, Issey. He's eighteen or nineteen - "
"Cradle robber."
"Hmph. Any human with our species would be cradle robbing. Unless it's Elminster."
"Ew. Oh, that was uncalled for!"
"He's about six feet tall, has black hair, black eyes...he's a magic user..."
"I knew it, I knew it! You were always a sucker for magic users. Well, does tall, dark and handsome have a name?"
"I don't remember."
"One night stand, huh? Wicked! Pan'll be in in a little bit. I'll go get her."
"Wait!" I reached into my pack and pulled out a box. "This is for you."
With a wide grin, Isioleth wasted no time opening the box. Inside were a pair of crystal-studded hair sticks that I'd bought for her in Everlund.
"For when you do find that boy, Issey."
After hugging me, she scampered off to find Pan. I flopped down on my bed. The interrogations would continue until morale improves. I can't wait.
"Come on out," she called in her husky voice. Then she took a false distinguished tone. "The, uh, bride wishes to see you." Ralenthra was wary, I could tell, but silently, she stepped out of her side of the carriage. I did too, and took it in, the place I lived in for the happiest eighteen years of my life. The village of Amalith was almost entirely up in the great trees of the High Forest, with beautiful elven villas built into and around the trees in perfect harmony connected by sturdy rope-and-wood bridges and to the ground by an elaborate pulley system. On the ground, some space had been cleared for the upcoming reception and colored lanterns on strings were hung all about from tree to tree. Amalith is an almost totally self-sufficient commune, made up of a few families (all elven of some variety), subsisting on sustainable hunting and foraging for food. Many work as craftspeople or sell wares in nearby Olostin's Hold. It is thoroughly grounded in a love of nature, as a druid circle led by my Aunt Ariel is based here.
"It hasn't changed a bit." I said happily. Isioleth slapped me on my back. "Yeah, I know. I can't wait to get back to Hilltop, as boring as that one-mule town is."
Isendur caught up to us. "Now, Isioleth. I'm sure that Drogan will keep us plenty busy with our studies. And Hilltop is nice country, with nice people."
Isioleth scoffed. "You just say that because you like that Haniah girl who works for the mayor. At least you have Dorna to compete with! Xanos and that dumb paladin Mischa, we don't really have much in common."
"At least Xanos makes you laugh...and you're right, Mischa is pretty stupid."
We stepped onto the platform that would take us to the Lorien villa. Isendur grasped the rope and turned to Ralenthra. "I hope you don't mind heights, Miss Aerynrae." Just then, we heard a whistle. "Hold up," called out Tordrin, "is there room for one more?" I looked at Ralenthra, who was a little flushed, though I'm not sure if it was Tordrin drawing near to her (to conserve space, I'm sure) or the heights we were starting to experience.
As we reached the top, Ralenthra turned to Isendur and smiled politely. "Could you show me to my room? I need to...sort my things." Isendur shrugged and led her away, with Tordrin watching her as she went. After she was out of sight, Tordrin said, "Miss Isioleth, why don't you walk Seledra to her room. I think I know how this gadget works and I'll bring up some of the others before your brother gets back." She grinned at him "Oh, okay!" and looked at me like "who the hell is this guy" before shrugging. "So", she continued conspiratorially, "how's life in the Big City? Are you having lots of good sex?"
I turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Issey, aren't you still a virgin?"
"Well, yeah, so? It doesn't mean I don't know what sex is. " And then she made obscene gestures with her hands that made us both collapse into giggles. "Don't hold out on me. I wanna hear all the details."
"All right, but when it happens for you, you'd better ante up."
"Takasi! That's not going to happen for a while yet."
"And why not? If I recall, you had to beat the local elven boys off with sticks when I left."
"Yeah, elven boys are boring. I don't care too much for humans either. They just don't do much for me."
"Dwarves?"
"Um, I don't think so."
"Gnomes?"
"Please, we're about to eat lunch, here."
"Halflings?"
"What do you think I am, some kind of pervert?"
"Well what then? Tief-"
"Don't change the subject, Leddie. I can tell there's something going on with you. First off, there's a strapping half-elf talking to Aarin in our kitchen who has brought you up more than once," she winked, "and secondly...secondly with you there is always a human. At least there is when you keep trying to change the subject."
I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Now I know there's a human. Fess up."
I groaned. "He's just a boy, Issey. He's eighteen or nineteen - "
"Cradle robber."
"Hmph. Any human with our species would be cradle robbing. Unless it's Elminster."
"Ew. Oh, that was uncalled for!"
"He's about six feet tall, has black hair, black eyes...he's a magic user..."
"I knew it, I knew it! You were always a sucker for magic users. Well, does tall, dark and handsome have a name?"
"I don't remember."
"One night stand, huh? Wicked! Pan'll be in in a little bit. I'll go get her."
"Wait!" I reached into my pack and pulled out a box. "This is for you."
With a wide grin, Isioleth wasted no time opening the box. Inside were a pair of crystal-studded hair sticks that I'd bought for her in Everlund.
"For when you do find that boy, Issey."
After hugging me, she scampered off to find Pan. I flopped down on my bed. The interrogations would continue until morale improves. I can't wait.
