First Lesson

The ripples in the water were all the sound Vaelara could take in. Even with the distant chatter of the townspeople, the bathhouse within Ralefort proved to be tranquil, given the size of the town, which rested in a hilly rural area near a creepy forest. Since none of the women seemed to join her, the isolation was peaceful.

In the calm of the afternoon, Vaelara allowed her mind to wander. She thought of home, the bright forest cities of Al’Shalri, where she once played in the evergreen parks. Reimagining her magic practices, Vaelara reached out with her hand, calling upon her Fae to guide her mind deep into the Emerald Fade.

She recalled the resplendent aura of the Fade washing her body in the breath of the forest. Its energies soaking deep within her very being, connecting both mind and spirit to the greater flowing light of the Emerald Fade that welcomed them. Vines would sprout from the ground, strong as ironwood bark, to coil and bend at will. The earth would shift and form in geometric patterns without ruining the very ground they walk on. And their bodies, delving into the Fade, would take on the aetherial shapes of beasts, becoming one with the life of nature.

Opening her eyes, Vaelara could only see what was lost. Her runes had dimmed and become empty. The voice of her ever-loyal companion was silenced in her heart. She then saw his face, a beautiful man with a braided beard, gentle eyes, and a smile that could always soothe her heart. Even after she stepped out of the bath and dried off, her body heated at the thought of him.

A good several minutes to herself sounded ideal; however, her vigil needed to continue, and for that, Vaelara got dressed, donned her leathers and cloak for the cool night, and left the Inn. On her way out, she passed by the main lobby, where a man and his family huddled by the fire pit. The father told stories to his son, who sat in his mother’s lap listening intently to a tale of a giant climbing to the surface in search of a swan that could lay golden eggs.

Vaelara walked past without drawing attention. She stepped outside where the sky turned to a fiery hue, with a draping indigo covering the horizon. The stars slowly began to reveal themselves in the coming night sky, with the moon hanging brightly like a magical jewel.

Exiting the town, most of the residents had retreated to their homes, the farms quiet once the livestock were stabled. A few who remained to enjoy the night air after a long day noticed their Dark Elf guest with little regard to her, except for one.

“Vaelari, was it?” Old man Rigel called out to her with a subtle wave.

“You can call me ‘Vael’.” She gave in to a shortened name not long ago, thanks to Ethan, resulting in something that is both usable and memorable. “How is the arm?”

Rigel raised his left arm, examining it. Not only was it clear of the mud Vael used as a druidic remedy, but the scars had long faded since that perilous moment five days ago.

“All good and still attached.” The spry farmer gave the Dark Elf and thumps up. “I can’t thank you enough, Miss Vael.”

“You don’t have to.” She shrugged nonchalantly on the matter. “It wasn’t my place to do so, and I’m sure thanking a Dark Elf isn’t proper etiquette.”

Rigel laughed dryly, but understood the feeling. “Well, it’s not every day one of your kind comes offering a helping hand without a knife in the other, I think. Sure, I’ve heard stories, but I guess you’re an exception.”

The words came genuinely from him; she knew this. Yet, deep down, Vael could hardly accept them. She didn’t feel the need to deserve them.

“That’s why she's so special.” Ethan agreed, strolling up as he readjusted the hunting bow and quiver on himself.

“What took you so long?” Vael folded her arms with a scowl on her face.

“Had to help clean the stables for the night.” Ethan held his hands up in honesty. “Boss has been really strict on me lately since you started training me, Master.”

“I’m not your ‘master’, and I’m just giving you pointers so you can shoot the side of a barn better.” Vae turned and walked off.

Rigel glanced at Ethan and nodded before heading inside himself. Moving out of the town, Vael and Ethan made their way to a spot in proximity near the wall, where a series of standing dummies made of hay and wood took position in a line.

For three days since the attack in the forest, Ethan had approached Vae in his request to train under her. Watching the Dark Elf take a shot into the obscure mist to kill a dire wolf, while under a wild fury, allowed him to witness an Elven archer’s skill. Since then, he’d gone out of his way to plead for her guidance, to be her apprentice to hone his skill with the bow.

Ethan would show up in the early morning to deliver breakfast, accompany Vael on morning patrol, offer her a wood carving of an elk the Elven often cherishes, or constantly beg for her to say she. She’d slam the door in his face, bound off into a tree, ignore his pleas, but kept the carving to admire the craftsmanship, though she never admitted it. It was only earlier in the day that she approached him, if only out of curiosity about his drive.

——

“What are you looking to gain, Ethan?” She asked at midday, having found him cleaning at one of the farms where he remained employed.

The surprising look he gave and a moment of thought gave Vael reason to expect something personal.

“One of my favorite adventurers was a master with the bow.” He started with slight enthusiasm while checking on the cattle nearby. “He’d loose arrows from meters away to take out his enemies, incapacitating them with pinpoint accuracy! Many would say he was either a natural or a user of wind magic. He saved my life once. Ever since then, the bow was just something that felt right.”

Ethan stared at the bow in his hands, admiring the craftsmanship and the upkeep he had given it over the years.

“Hoping that I could travel, use my skills to be a licensed adventurer, or even a delver. To do something away from Raleford.”

The latter, he said with a hint of contempt.

Vael wanted to ask clarifying questions, but didn’t press; she took note of his tone and accepted his reasoning. Yet, she noticed something wasn’t right. Ethan’s smile wasn’t the same, nor did he appear all too excited about his “favorite hero”. She filed it away and moved on with her time.

——

“Ready your arrow.” She ordered calmly, beginning the lesson as the evening slowly turned to night, leaving a lantern nearby to light their training ground.

Ethan faced the training dummy and drew the arrow back.

“Stop!” Vael called out immediately, approaching him. “You lean back, stop it.” She tilted his upper half forward, allowing his spine to straighten.

Ethan held himself upright as her firm hand left his back.

“Next, angle your arms as one, so you can have more accuracy.“ Vael nudged the arm that held the arrow, lining his elbow and forearm to match the other.

Feeling his body relax with the adjustment, Ethan began to feel it take on a more relaxed position.

“And keep your feet apart for balance.” The Elf gave a few kicks with her feet to lessen the width of his stance.

Vael nodded, then shoved Ethan. He stumbled forward, the stance completely ruined. Glancing back, confused, the Elf gestured to him.

“Memorize that stance. Keep it in your mind, in your very body, as you open to draw on your bow. Now, ready yourself, properly this time.”

Ethan turned to face the target dummy again. He mimicked the position given, steadying his posture, relaxing his arms, and keeping his feet wide.

“That is better.” Vael sighed, turning away. “And enough for now, I need to patrol the town.”

A burst of pride filled Ethan’s chest. Something about her words made him exhale with relief. He didn’t release the arrow for her, and the lesson hardly took much out of him. Yet something about it, about her, felt right.

“Will there be more lessons?”

He called out to Vael as the dark of night completely fell over the town. The lamps were fully lit through the streets, and most of the houses remained lit and active. Alone and on the outskirts of the town, Vael paused and kept silent for a moment.

“When I have the time.”

Ethan’s fist tightened on the arrow in his hand. The anticipation quickly filled his head with what’s to come and what he’d be able to learn. But he still felt her approval, as curt as she was. It made a difference that felt more than he had ever been given.

Facing the dummies again, Ethan took position, allowing Vael her peace again. He repeated taking the proper stance again and again, often holding himself to teach his body to remember it.

After an hour, Vael found herself repeatedly circling back to that spot. She kept out of sight, watching and studying the young Human’s determination long after the stars shined over head. He had goals. She could see his pride and excitement from the smallest of praise and acceptance. But Ethan also hid something that made her curious about his intentions, about how far he was willing to push himself, relying on her to see his hopes come to fruition.