The light blinds me when I open my tent flap, and I curse internally at Lucien’s cheerful morning disposition when I spot him humming as he packs away his things. I stumble away from our camp, across the forest floor, and find a stream in which to wash myself, shivering as I do so.
When my tent is packed away, we continue our journey, rejoining the crowds on the main road, and look up towards the hill where the City of Lights appears closer than ever before.
“I regret not accepting an offer of a horse,” Lucien groans. “My feet are hurting. I’d rather be walking on the grass.”
“I’d be glad to have even been offered a horse to ride on. I feel exhausted.”
“I’m equally exhausted from your constant tossing and turning. I’d think you’d be tired after so many restless nights, but I suppose you don’t need as much sleep as others, because you never sleep.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, feeling embarrassed that I’ve caused him so much trouble. “If you are weary from traveling with me, I will take no offense if we go our separate ways.”
“I’m simply worried about you, is all,” he glances over at me, and there’s a sad look on his face. “You’re not meant to spend so many nights without rest. How are you going to stay awake for all of your classes if you keep that up? Besides, despite all that, I’m in good company.”
“I’m flattered that you should worry about me,” I say, nervously. “But you need not. I can travel on my own.”
“With that hearing of yours, I trust you could. You can hear almost as well as any light elf.”
“Truly? What about dark elves? Is your hearing also sensitive?”
“Dark elves have better sight.”
“Did you inherit all the useful traits from your parents? I meant to ask, but…”
“You wouldn’t believe it, but I even got their incredibly good looks, on top of everything else they blessed me with.”
I glance over at his face, caught by surprise that he is already looking at me with a smirk. I’m not sure if his face is considered handsome by elf standards, but by mine, he’s painfully attractive. A heat creeps over my cheeks, and I turn away from him so he won’t notice I’m ogling.
“Well, I wouldn’t know,” I admit. “I suppose it looks okay.”
“Oy! Half-breed!” Someone calls.
I reflexively reach for the silver dagger I keep at my belt, and wrap my fingers around my hilt, ready to pull it out.
“I knew you looked familiar! Lucien, my friend, have your horns grown longer?”
A tall, well-dressed man with red hair, bright green eyes, and pale freckled skin walks up to Lucien, and hugs him. Lucien freezes in place, seemingly shocked, before hugging him back.
“Lynn,” he says, nervously, pushing him at arm's length, and examining his face closely. “Hello.”
“Why won’t you call me ‘Arthur’?” the man scolds him, furrowing his brows. “Why are you being strange?”
“Arthur, it’s nice to see you. Returning to the academy?”
“I am. Starting level five. It feels like it’s been a long time.”
I watch them talk and stare at each other, feeling suddenly as if I’ve shown up uninvited to a private meeting, and should be escorting myself off the premises.
“This is my traveling companion, Luna Masters,” says Lucien, after clearing his throat.
“What an enchanting creature,” he says, eyes trailing over my body.
It feels inappropriate somehow, and I shyly cover my body beneath my cloak.
“Masters?” He asks, taking my hand, and kissing it softly. “Sounds familiar.”
“Her family used to reside in Mirror Lake, so it’s possible you’ve heard of them before,” says Lucien.
“Ah. You’re correct. I presume you’re a Wind-Caller, then, if I’ve guessed your lineage correctly?”
“I am,” I say, shyly taking my hand back, and easing my grip on my dagger.
“You need not worry with Lucien here watching over you,” he says, spotting my weapon. “He once took down a gang of thieves single-handedly.”
I look over at Lucien, who beams with pride. A giggle escapes me, causing him to chuckle uncomfortably.
“Well, tell me more,” I say, moving to continue our walk down the road.
“So, there we were, minding our own, having food scraps for dinner on our way back to Mirror Lake from the Grove. I was supposed to keep guard, but wound up falling asleep, you know how that is,” he rolls his eyes, and lifts his hands, shrugging exaggeratedly. “And we were surrounded by a band of thieves. They attacked us, but Lucien had them all on the ground groveling in seconds. Have you seen him move? Like a shadow.”
“Well, he is a Shadow-”
“I know, it’s just… different to actually see it. We wound up finding the thieves' camp, found all the goods they’d stolen, and had quite a feast that night. Eventually, we met up with a group of people they had robbed, and returned their belongings.”
“How kind of you,” I say, trying to imagine possessing the ability to return stolen goods after growing up with so little.
“So, Luna, where did your family move to?” Arthur asks, nonchalantly.
“Um… Bellehaven. It’s a-”
“Bellehaven! What a quaint, little village! I’ve always wanted to go. It’s like stepping into the distant past.”
“According to Luna, there’s not much to see,” Lucien comments.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Arthur explains. “I bet after living in such a big city, you seek the quiet and simplicity Bellehaven offers.”
“I suppose,” I mumble. “I’d rather be back in the city.”
“How old were you when you left?”
“I was ten and two.”
“Ah, that’s a long time to grow up somewhere. I can’t imagine ever leaving my home. I struggle enough being away to attend the Academy.”
“Mirror Lake is just as far as the Grove from the Academy, isn’t it?” I inquire, trying to conjure up the image of a map I’d seen in one of Miss Eisley’s books.
“It is. So there will be no visits back home any time soon,” he says, taking a deep breath and sighing loudly. “Except this time. I had matters to tend to. Nothing like that fresh forest air, and being so close to nature to really make a person miss their creature comforts. I forgot how many bugs are out here.”
“I’d rather not talk about bugs.”
“Really, have you seen the ones-”
“How have you been, Arthur?” Lucien asks, abruptly.
“My father is remarried. I don’t like her at all, but don’t tell anyone I said that. I have to keep up appearances.”
“Why don’t you like her? Did she ask you to behave for once?”
“She’s hideous!”
“That’s it?” He laughs, looking over at me when I momentarily pause to glance at Arthur in disbelief. “I suppose you believe everyone is unlikeable, then?”
He pauses, and gives Lucien a half smirk. “No! But it doesn’t help. She could have at least been pretty to make up for everything else.”
I scoff, and cross my arms over my chest in anger.
“Oh, sorry, Miss Luna, did you have something to add?” He asks, sarcastically, his tone unbothered and challenging.
“No,” I huff.
“Obviously, appearances aren’t everything,” he says, defensively. “She’s been preaching some nonsense to my father about the evils of the dark elves. The dark elves already residing in Mirror Lake are uneasy enough as it is with the goings on in the west. We don’t need it to corrupt my father.”
“Why don’t all of you just chase her off?” I ask, feeling my anger subside a little.
“It’s not that easy. My father is taken with her.”
“So, chase them both out?” I suggest.
“Luna,” Lucien snickers. “His father is King Richard Lynn of Mirror Lake.”
My eyes grow wide, and I stare at Arthur, taking in his appearance. He’s wearing expensive clothing, several golden rings, and a jeweled dagger at his belt with a golden hilt. You wouldn’t notice it, unless you looked closely, as it is very plain in appearance, otherwise.
“You’re Prince Arthur?” I freeze in place. “I’m very sorry for my rudeness.”
“I’m not a prince while I’m in the City of Lights,” he says, with a wink. “Keep that to yourself, won’t you?”
“Why would you… What?”
“He’s got a complex,” says Lucien, with a wink and a teasing smile. “His family has ways of keeping an eye on him at the Academy.”
“I just want to become a Mystic on my own terms,” grumbles Arthur. “Unlike my father.”
“Right,” I mumble, gathering my composure. “I won’t tell a soul, I suppose.”
“Feel free to treat him like anyone else when he inevitably behaves foolishly, though,” Lucien advises.
Gods, the look Lucien gives Arthur! His cheeks become a darker shade of blue, his eyes shimmer in the light, and… did he just sigh dreamily? My gaze draws his attention, and looks away quickly, to clear his throat.
“He likes to cause trouble for anyone near him,” Lucien teases him. “I never have a day of peace when he’s around.”
“Don’t be so cruel. I’m not that bad. Don’t give Luna such a bad impression of me. We’ve only just met,” Arthur says, grinning mischievously, and I wonder if he’s purposely trying to annoy me so they can have some privacy.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” I laugh. “You’re apparently nobody important.”
Arthur guffaws, bending over, and clutching his stomach. It’s awkward, and unsettling.
“You catch on quickly. Is that why you continue to keep her company, Lucien?”
I look over at Lucien, and notice his eyes are watching something beyond the tree line.
“You know better than anyone, the company I prefer to keep,” he says, following his target intently, and slowly reaching for the weapon at his belt.
“What kind of company is that?” I ask, reaching slowly for my own dagger, wondering if we are about to get ambushed.
“One second,” he says, vanishing before my eyes, leaving behind a black, curling mist where he’d been standing.
He reappears in a flash, causing my ears to ring.
“I’ve got some nice rabbits for our meal tonight,” he says, holding up a dead rabbit.
“Gods!” I sigh, shaking my limbs to settle my nerves. “I thought there were thieves hiding in the forest.”
Lucien stares at me, seemingly amused. “Is that the only part that surprised you?”
“Yes!”
“Not even the dark magic?” He asks, sounding a little disappointed.
Arthur scoffs, looking irritated. “He only likes to keep the company of individuals who he deems worthy of his time. Which he has plenty of, being an elf.”
“I enjoy good company, and it’s hard to come by,” he says, defensively.
“She’s from Bellehaven. How fascinating could she be?”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Excuse me! How dare you both insult me! I’m from Bellehaven, not a cave. I’ve seen dark magic, having grown up in Mirror Lake. And you!” I approach Arthur, pointing an angry finger in his direction. “I’m not some sort of entertainment! I’m a woman! A person! Living and breathing!”
“But it is something, otherwise, why waste the time?” He says, without flinching.
“Arthur,” chides Lucien. “Try not to be an ass. I know it’s nearly impossible for you, but you might be capable. I believe in you. Luna, I apologize for my rude behavior.”
“My apologies, Miss Luna. I meant no offense,” grumbles Arthur under his breath.
“He meant offense, but he’s harmless. Don’t take anything he says seriously.”
“Now I’m offended,” Arthur says as he crosses his arms.
“Oh, shut up, Arthur,” sighs Lucien, exasperated. “You’re exhausting us. Our peaceful journey has suddenly become significantly less peaceful because of you. Luna and I were getting along perfectly.”
I’m flattered he would say such a thing.
“Is that how you’re going to treat an old friend?” Arthur asks in feigned disbelief.
“That’s not the word I’d used, but fine,” he says.
Lucien clasps his mouth, and looks away, the tips of his ears becoming dark blue.
“What word would you use?” I inquire, curiosity getting the best of me as I wait for a reaction.
Arthur clears his throat, drawing my attention away.
“He’d hoped I’d at least omit the part where I called him old,” Arthur mutters.
“Because I’m not,” Lucien grumbles.
“You will be.”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll get level six, and become immortal. Then I’ll be sure to annoy you for all eternity.”
“How big of you to admit you’re annoying.”
Arthur huffs.
We walk in silence for some time, and I enjoy the gentle, cool breezes blowing through my hair, waving the branches of the trees above, and scattering the leaves beneath our feet. I dream I am walking through a flowing river, at the edge of a cascading waterfall, as the mist rises to meet me. With my arms held out at either side, I jump off the edge, spread my arms, and take flight. I soar over the waterfall, rivers and- A shadowy figure dashes across my field of vision.
“Another shadowstalker,” I whisper faintly.
I can see Lucien’s ear twitch from the corner of my eye. His eyes flicker over to me, and immediately follow my gaze.
“It’s harmless unless you try to hurt the forest,” he comments the moment he spots it.
“Well, if he’s harmless, should we stop? I’m getting tired, and I could use a small break.”
“Yes. I can hear a stream, if you’d like me to refill your canteens,” he says, holding out a hand.
Arthur immediately pushes past him, and past a line of trees just off the main road.
“Or you… can come with me, I suppose,” he says, quietly.
“Why miss out on the opportunity to dip my feet in the water?” Arthur calls out.
“That does sound nice,” I agree, feeling a dull ache in my legs, just before sprinting to catch up with Arthur. “Even if it’s too cold.”
The air feels cooler around the stream. I set my things on flat ground, then take a seat at the edge of a large stone positioned over the river. Lying back in a sunny spot, I bite into a sweet, red apple. The juices trail down the corners of my mouth, and I lick them up, feeling the stickiness left behind. I sigh contentedly, and yawn.
“Do you have any more honey cake?” I ask Lucien, jokingly. “I could really use some right about now.”
“Honey cake?” Arthur asks, lazily, stirring from his nap.
“I don’t, I’m afraid. What we had yesterday was the last of it.”
“And you didn’t share?” He asks, peeking over at Lucien with one eye open, and a smirk on his face.
Lucien rolls his eyes, not wanting to fall for Arthur’s bait in an attempt to rile him up.
“Sorry,” he snarks. “I’ll make sure your unexpected company is considered next time.”
Their voices fade away when they begin to bicker again. I watch the clouds float past, as exhaustion slowly lulls me into a deep slumber.
“Luna,” whispers Lucien, shaking me gently. “We’re ready to go.”
I peer through my eyelids, and see the leaves of the trees and sunlight sharpening into view partially blocked by Lucien’s smiling face. Have I ever prayed to Gaia that I may witness such beauty? If I did, she answered my prayers a thousand fold.
“Gaia’s blessing,” I mutter.
He raises an eyebrow.
“Sorry,” I mumble, slowly pulling myself out of my daze. “I’m still waking up.”
I get to my feet, pack away my things, and swing my bag over my shoulder.
We walk in silence, and I listen to the conversations of the crowds that surround us as Sol is beginning to make his descent across the sky.
“So,” Lucien says, quietly. “Are you going to light a lantern in the City of Lights for the upcoming festivities?”
“That’s such nonsense,” Arthur argues. “I lit a lantern standing by this goddess of a woman in Mirror Lake, and I never saw her again.”
“Well, it is a day for receiving blessings, and you were clearly not one she asked for,” states Lucien.
“The perfect man?”
Lucien and I snicker quietly.
“Most people ask for a peaceful life,” I mention.
“You don’t have to be so personally offended just because she was the lucky one,” adds Lucien.
I snicker again.
“You’re probably right!” Arthur laughs.
“I was hoping I could light a lantern with Marc,” I say, absently staring up at a passing hawk soaring just above us.
“Marc?” Arthur asks, glancing over at Lucien for an explanation.
“Her lover,” Lucien informs him.
Arthur eyes me from head to toe with a devious smirk, and I feel like he’s undressing me with his eyes. I turn away from him slightly.
“Lucien!” I laugh nervously, my cheeks burning. “He’s not my lover! Don’t spread rumors”
“I don’t understand what the matter is, and why you’re so embarrassed to admit that it’s, at the very least, what you want him to be,” he scoffs.
“We’re humans, Lucien,” Arthur mutters. “We don’t speak so openly of relationships the way you unsophisticated dark elves do.”
“I bet you’d all live longer if you did. You overcomplicate things too much. It shortens your years, and it’s a shame because you have so few of them already.”
“Listen to him. He’s unbelievable,” Arthur scoffs, smiling mischievously, and it reminds me of how my father teases my mother. “He has centuries to learn better.”
”It is,” states Lucien, stubbornly.
“It isn’t,” I disagree. “I…”
I think for a moment, letting it sink in that I am trying to speak to two strangers about matters of the heart, and almost bringing up Marcellus again.
“Never mind,” I mutter, returning my gaze to the road ahead.
“A wise decision,” Arthur sighs. “Lucien will have you convinced that everything is cut and dry in love.”
“It is,” insists Lucien. “You like them, you lay with them, and if the emotions linger, you lay with them multiple times. If you continue to lay with them, you marry them and have several children. That’s how it usually works, isn’t it?”
I feel my cheeks burning, my thoughts returning to Marcellus once again, and I curse internally. Why is he constantly running through my mind lately? It’s quickly becoming irritating. I’ve only ever been smitten with one other person before, and I don’t have time to waste going through this again. I have to focus on more important things.
“Gods, Lucien,” I mutter. “You live a simple life, then, don’t you?”
“Sometimes you’re attracted to the wrong… individual, and you can’t do anything about it,” he says, flatly. “I mean, you can agonize over it, or move on quickly.”
“So it’s not so cut and dry?” Arthur teases. “You move on just like that?”
“In general, it is… cut and dry…”
“Th-” I begin to disagree.
“That’s not what she asked, though,” Arthur interrupts. “But you answered the question, anyway.”
“I don’t live a simple life,” Lucien says, defensively.
“Love’s not so easy, then?”
He gives an exasperated sigh, and looks over at me. I think for a second he’s going to get angry with me for having started this conversation, but he smiles instead.
“I do recall mentioning that matters of the heart are rarely clearly defined,” he reminds me, giving me what feels like a flirtatious smirk, but surely, it can’t be.
“I do rec-call,” I stutter, my heart racing. “But did you mean it? The way you’re speaking, I can't tell that you actually even meant what you said.”
“Well, let’s take Arthur, for example… You don’t mind if I speak of your affairs, do you, old friend?” He looks over at Arthur who shakes his head, his attention focused on a pinecone he’s been kicking down the road. “Arthur, being mostly attractive by your human standards-”
“Hey,” Arthur warns. “Choose your words carefully, Moonshadow.”
“Sorry, he thinks he’s extremely attractive by your standards.”
“Not my standards,” I assert.
Arthur mutters under his breath, and kicks the pinecone further down the road again harder than before.
“He simply has to express interest in someone, and they immediately lay with him, and the deed is done. They move on with their lives, and so does he,” he waves his hand lazily.
“Until they don’t?” I ask,, enjoying the irritated look Lucien gives me.
“They always do when he brings up his engagement to Princess Isabella of Castin. They have to move on because they’re not given a choice.”
“You’re engaged?” I gasp, covering my mouth with both hands, and staring at Arthur wide-eyed. “You’d think all of Amith would know, and that you’d know better than to…”
Arthur has the decency to hang his head in shame, but only for a few seconds.
“That poor woman!” I cry.
Lucien huffs as he forces down a laugh.
“Well, it’s not like I had a choice in the matter,” he murmurs.
“Imagine if the princess did what you’re doing now, arranged marriage or not. I bet she’d be shamed!” I cry out. “Even if she also has no choice in the matter!”
“Probably, but can you please keep your voice down?” He mutters. “It’s not as if I would mind.”
“If anyone has a simple life in love, it’s Arthur,” Lucien summarizes.
“We weren’t talking about him, though.”
“Gods, you’re right. Arthur’s ramblings distract me. I meant to say… In conclusion, Marcellus also seems infatuated with you, and therefore you can just admit that you want him to be your lover.”
My cheeks burn hot. “We were done talking about that.”
“We were not.”
“It’s not simple!” Says Arthur defensively, startling the both of us. “I don’t want to marry her. She’s so boring. There’s barely anything there to look at.”
“I heard she’s the most beautiful woman in all of Amith,” I say, recalling a rumor I heard years ago.
“She’s nothing compared to the light elves. Right, Lucien?” He asks, nudging him expectantly.
Lucien tears his eyes away from my own, and smiles at Arthur.
“But you’re enga-”
“Yes, yes,” Arthur scoffs, irritated. “I’m just comparing.”
“You can’t,” states Lucien. “Because it’s not even an option that can be considered.”
“What?” I mumble. “Then why do you think it can be both simple, and complicated?”
“For me, it’s complicated. For most, it’s not.”
“Oh, Lucien,” says Arthur. “You realize you’re wrong, and we just proved you wrong, right?”
“I’m done talking about this,” he mutters, giving Arthur a look of disappointment and betrayal, his ears and neck a dark shade of blue.
“That’s how it always goes with him,” he whispers to me, unbothered.
Lucien’s ear twitches, and he gives Arthur a threatening glare.
“How are things in Mirror Lake?” I ask Arthur, feeling tensions rising, and the need to diffuse them.
“Well, we’re not doing very well with our new queen being spiteful towards the dark elves, as I mentioned. As you probably already know, having grown up there, we have a large population of them, and many are leaving in droves back to Dark Grove. All we can do is arrange safe passage between the two cities. The streets have been eerily quiet and empty lately, and the city is practically abandoned. People have been ransacking and destroying the vacant homes. It’s attracting a nasty crowd.”
I can only picture the crowded streets of Mirror Lake, lively, and filled with children running around unattended and free, and the many vendors selling delicious foods, potions, and sometimes even trinkets from Zelfari that my family could never afford. I remember my parents allowing my sisters and I to wander the streets unsupervised, as it was always safe to do so in the past. I can’t imagine what it’d look like now.
“Hmm, that’s a shame,” I mutter, mostly to myself, trying to think of a more lively topic to pass the time.
“Luna,” whispers Lucien, placing a hand on my shoulder, and pointing towards a distant spot in the forest. “Can you see it?”
I follow his finger, and I’m unable to guess what he’s trying to show me.
“What is it?” I ask, leaning in close to see from his point of view.
“Your shadowstalker. He’s taken an unusual interest in you. Did you do anything to harm the forest?”
My head turns up towards the sky, as I try to recall if I’ve recently done anything unusual while walking through the woods, but nothing stands out.
“N-Not that I can recall,” I say unconvincingly, finally spotting the shadowstalker that was most definitely looking back at me with bright, white eyes.
“Then you have a friend.”
Arthur shields his eyes from the sun, trying to spot the shadowstalker that has drawn our attention.
“That’s just a normal shadow,” He insists.
“No,” murmurs Lucien. “It’s not.”
The shadowstalker vanishes, lost amongst the trees once again.
“How could you even tell it’s the same one? They all look the same,” says Arthur, finding another pinecone to kick.
“Have you ever seen a shadowstalker this far north?”
“No, but what would I know?”
“Nothing, actually, but I didn’t ask you about that.”
“No, I’ve never seen a shadowstalker this far north,” I comment. “It was the first unusual thing I noticed about it. I’ve heard of the powers of the shadowstalkers. If it’s a friend of mine now, I’ll… be in good hands, right?”
“You will be guaranteed safety and protection in the forest.”
“I’ve never met a shadowstalker. Have you?”
“Met?” Arthur laughs. “They’re spirits. There’s not much t-”
“I’ve never personally met one,” interrupts Lucien. “But a friend of mine believes that they are quite knowledgeable in dark magic. He learned a few unknown spells from them.”
“That’s complete nonsense.”
“Possibly, but the spells he’d cast were unlike any I’d ever seen.”
I set up my tent on level ground, and light a fire to make dinner while Lucien and Arthur forage for food. Lucien returns with rabbits, drops them off, and quickly returns to his foraging. I clean them, and set them to cook over the fire
“I found some berries, nuts, and mushrooms,” says Arthur upon his return. “Gods, that smells amazing already. I’m starving.”
“Bring it here,” I hold out my hands as Arthur hands me a sack filled with his findings. “Go, and fetch me some clean water, please.”
When Arthur returns with a small pot of water, I wash my hands with a wet rag, and we begin our work in cleaning and preparing everything for the cooking. I stop my preparations to examine an unusual flower that was brought back, and set it aside, away from the other herbs and vegetables.
“Sorry,” he says, when he notices it. “That flower is used to help aid those who have trouble sleeping, something Lucien has always struggled with. I meant to remove it.”
“It’s because humans are so noisy,” says Lucien, startling both of us when he appears seemingly out of nowhere. “I’ve returned with some roots, herbs, and fish.”
“Some fish sound wonderful,” I exclaim. “Thank you, Lucien.”