Sunrise

The that time passed was a dreamless, black blur. By now, she was familiar with this feeling, a familiarity she’d rather not have. When Mira came to, she felt the softness of an unfamiliar bed and her eyes cracked open slowly. Her vision was a brown blur; she was possibly looking at a wooden ceiling. Light fell across from the bed from her right and birds were chirping outside. It was early morning, she could deduce.

I feel like I’ve been in a similar situation before… she mused and smiled weakly.

 Yet no matter how long she must have slept, she still felt weak and groggy. It felt like a fever. Her hand aimlessly pawed at the bedside table and she found her glasses there. A rush of comfort came over her when she slid them back onto her nose and the world came back into focus.She held up her left hand, turning it. No wound in sight, no fabric damaged.

Was all of this just a dream? She thought and propped herself up.

This room was different from the last inn she stayed at, and it wasn’t Albert and Rhys’ house either. This was a different place.

Mira looked down at herself. Her clothes were mended and they were the same she bought at Velvet’s store. No dream, no memory loss again. She nodded while humming and spotted her staff leaning against the wall next to her bed. Her hand found it and curled around it, then swung her legs over the bedside.

But she didn’t recall how she got here. Her last moments she had spend making sure that Rhys would recover. She thought back then when her eyes closed, she’d do so for the last time. And yet she found herself in a room like this. Someone had brought her here. But who? And how did she survive?

I guess I should take a look around.

She thought and got up. But the weakness in her legs almost made her fall over. She held onto her staff like a crutch, recalling that she’d done this before. Some things really do come full circle. Her bag was on a nearby table and she picked it up. Then slowly, but steadily, she made her way toward the door and left through it.

Indeed, this was a wholly different inn as she looked down the hallway. Its walls plastered with beautiful oil paintings and a red carpet rolling along the ground.

Ah, this must have been expensive…! She thought and sped up her steps a little.

Step by step, she felt herself regaining some of that stamina again. It was almost like she hadn’t moved in quite a while. Walking around a corner, she found a flight of stairs and descended it, one arm firmly sliding along the railing. She descended carefully but then her ears twitched; she picked up familiar voices from below. Mira hurried her steps a little and found herself in a tavern.

On the paved ground, she saw various round tables with stools around them. A few rectangular tables were lined on the left and right walls with benches on either side. They were divided by taller wooden walls, making them look quite cozy from afar. On her right side was a counter with a bar behind it, but the owner was nowhere to be seen.

She saw these two immediately: Rhys and Albert were sitting opposite each other in one of the secluded spots. And it was a window seat too.

Images appeared before her eyes again; how Rhys was half-dead lying beneath her, how they left Albert behind to flee from Zev. And both seemed in healthy condition, though Albert had his right arm in a sling.

They took immediate notice of her and turned their heads to face her. Both their faces lit up and Mira’s did the same.

“Mira!” Rhys called out and immediately got up. Mira met his approach with quick strides on her own.

“Good morning you two…” she said, still a little weakly.

“Good morning to you as well. We thought if you slept any longer, we’d start discussing if elves hibernate in summer!” Rhys said with a smirk.

“…Silly.” Mira said, her smile dimpling her skin. “But I don’t think we do.”

“I figured that.” Rhys said with a chuckle. “Come, sit with us.”

They walked back to their spot and Mira held her hand up to greet Albert.

“Good morning to you too, Albert.”

“Good morning, Mira. Did you sleep well?” he asked, stroking his beard as she settled on the windowside. Rhys sat down next to Albert again.

“I think so…” she said and leaned her staff against the wall. “How long was I out?”

“Almost two days.” Albert said and Mira gave Rhys a sidelong glance, smiling sheepishly.

“And… that is enough to start speculating about elven hibernation?” she said, giggling.

Rhys offered no answer, just a smirk as he crossed his arms on the table.

“Velvet brought us here after we passed out. She used her last Flameweed Potions on us.” Rhys said and scratched his cheek.

“The priests have worked themselves into exhaustion. They won’t be doing any healing for at least a week.”

“I see… Just like Percival then?”

She recalled her time in the church, when Percival showed early symptoms of magic fatigue. Her eyes wandered to Albert’s arm.

“Is that why your arm isn’t healed?”

“That is the reason. They mended it enough to save it. Thralls be damned.” He said and shook his head. “But I’ll have to commend you two. You really took Zev down.”

Now Albert turned his head to face Mira again.

“And you saved my boy. Nobody would have blamed you if you didn’t. But you put his health above yours.” He said and extended his hand and shook hers. “Thank you for this. I cannot put my gratitude into words.”

Mira’s mouth was open and her ears twitched as she heard him speak. But her gaze dropped and she fidgeted with her hair, smiling sheepishly.

“I just did what I thought was right…” she muttered. “You all have been kind to me and… I don’t know if I was really rational there… He also saved my life before, so…”

Albert shook his head firmly. “It says a lot about what you are in the dark.” Albert said and gave Rhys a sidelong glance who was pursing his lips.

“It still took me by surprise. You couldn’t have known that Velvet carried your old potion with her. For all you knew, you could have, well…” Rhys said, scratching his cheek.

 “Especially since what happened at the bridge.” He said, his voice coming out quieter.

Mira’s breath caught in her throat. She tensed up, averting her eyes and tapped the table. Then silence followed. Albert huffed and got up from his spot, then moved past Rhys.“It’s about time you eat something.” Albert said and made eye contact with Mira.

“Do you eat meat?”

“Meat? Uhm, yes of course.”

“I almost thought elves were vegetarians… But good, this makes it easier. I’ll be ordering you something.” Albert said and turned to Rhys. “I’ll get you the same, yes?”

“Of course, gramps.”

“Well… It seems the owner isn’t around, so this might take me a moment.”

Albert nodded and walked to the counter. Mira bit her lip, watching his movement. He was out of view, the two of them alone in their secluded corner now.

Was that on purpose? She thought.

 Mira looked at Rhys, who seemed to be scrambling for words same as her. Now that the danger was over, she realized that maybe they needed to talk about what happened. And since Rhys brought it up, she cast a sheepish glance at him, waiting.

“Okay uhm, how do I start this.” He said and looked at the ceiling, as if the answers were scribbled into it. “I’m…”

He started, swallowed and made eye contact with Mira, whose head was lowered. She returned his gaze by looking through her lashes.

“I’m sorry. I’ve acted rash there. And I shouldn’t have treated you this way.” He said and looked out the window. “I’ve got history with the Covenant. And I’ve overreacted.”

Mira fidgeted with her hair, following his gaze out of the window. She was at a loss for words and mulled over what he said.

“I don’t think I can blame you… Now that I’ve seen the Covenant myself…” she said with lower voice. “Even Zev thought I was one of them… He watched me through animals… And even his Thralls, I think. So, if even a member of the Covenant mistook me for one of them-“

“That’s not an excuse.” Rhys interjected. “I just should have known better.”

“I don’t think you could have, Rhys.” She said, twirling a strand of lavender hair around her index finger. “Everything you said added up. So… I don’t blame you.” She muttered.

Rhys kept his eyes on her while she averted hers.

“Just uhm… Can I ask one question?”

“Of course, Mira.”

She felt her breath hitch as she gathered the words. But she hesitated. Maybe she already knew the answer, or rather, that she assumed the wrong one. Her gaze sought his again, still hesitant. Then she forced the words out.

“Was everything before a lie?”

“What do you mean?”

“Being nice to me, showing me the city, saying you’d want to learn magic from me. All that.” She muttered under her voice, her head sinking between her shoulders. “Since you said you were watching me…”

When she lifted her gaze to meet his again, she could see his expression: He looked mortified.

“What…? That was-“ he interrupted himself, tensing as if fighting the urge to lean forward. “Of course not. I was watching you, yes but that didn’t mean I was just acting.”

“You promise?”

“Of course, Mira!” he said.

Suddenly everything reframed itself in her mind. His cold words, how he shook and his voice trembled when he held her at bladepoint. How his demeanor changed when he saw her hurt. A man who had history with the Covenant, spitting words of venom. And yet.

Was he trying to convince himself? She thought.

There was a sudden wetness around her cheeks, two tears rolling down them. Relief. There was no other word for what she felt. She had assumed the worst, but the outcome was far from it. Mira brought a hand up and wiped the tears away, hoping he wouldn’t see them.

“That means… We’re friends?”

Rhys smiled, uncrossing his arms, curling a hand into a fist and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Of course. Master and Apprentice even! Because I intend to take you up on your offer!”

“D-don’t call me master… That is odd.” she chuckled.

“Right… Archmagus, maybe? Magister? Keeper of the elden crafts?”

“Now you’re just teasing me…!”

After chuckling in unison for a heartbeat, Rhys focused his eyes back on her.

“Are you still mad at me?” he asked tentatively.

Mira averted her eyes and curled a hand over her chest.

“I can’t say that it doesn’t sting anymore, but…” she locked her eyes on him again. “I think I can move past it.”

“So it’s water under the bridge?”

Mira didn’t say anything, just gave him a nod and a warm smile. The resolution she hoped for, she finally achieved it. Despite thinking herself a burden, having no knowledge of the world and recalling nothing of her past, she managed to push through everything. Thanks to the help of everyone around her.

At least now, it felt like the dark that surrounded her and everyone else had been cast out of sight. They were greeted with another beautiful day, and they were all here to see it. Just a few moments later, Albert returned to the table.

“Ah, you two have finished your talk I assume.” He said with a chuckle. “Food will be here soon, the tavernkeep is preparing everything.”

“Oh uhm but I don’t have any money left!” Mira squeaked.

“Save it, Mira. Treating you is the least I could do for what you’ve done.” He said and stroked his beard. “I wonder where Percival and Velvet are though. They wanted to talk to you as well.”

“They’re here too?” Mira asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, Percival oversaw your healing process. And Velvet administered her potions, so-“

“I’ll look for them!” Mira declared and got up, still a little woozy but she caught herself quickly and grabbed her staff.

“Ah, wait Mira! Don’t be so hasty!” Rhys said, but she was already moving.

“I’ll be back in a moment!” she chirped, completely forgetting that she didn’t even know their room numbers. That fact wouldn’t dawn on her even when she was ascending the stairs again.