Shorty

The following months passed in a flash. Next to climbing lessons with Starkus and baths with Claudia, Edelgard got to know many people, and she learned a lot.

For example, Claudia, Starkus, and the rest of them were elves, long-lived species that could technically live forever, or so Claudia had said. At least there hadn't been a death by old age yet, which was why the 'elders' still looked like young people.

They were apparently recognized by their long ears and slender builds, as well as their athletic abilities.

Edelgard had none of those traits, making her essentially different.

That must've been what the elders were talking about.

"Are there any other sentient species?" she had asked one day.

"There are many animals, but we don't concern ourselves with them. We leave them alone, and they leave us. As for intelligent races... there are none that we know of."

'Not that we know for sure,' Claudia had added playfully.

At first, Edelgard feared to hold the married couple back at night, but they were the same as always. Edelgard was mostly the same, too, if not for one thing...

"Hey, Shorty! Want to scale the huts again?" Starkus asked.

For her short ears, she acquired the nickname 'Shorty'.

It wasn't like it bothered her, but it certainly didn't make her happy, either.

"Can we do it later? I wanted to study some more."

Starkus's shoulders slumped.

"Claudia is out scavenging for Westwind Roots, and you are here, trying to decypher our language. Do you want to become an elder, too? Only they are required to read and write, anyway," he argued, shaking his head.

"There's a written prophecy about change coming, and I could be part of it. Isn't it natural for me to try and read it?"

"You have millennia to study, but scaling huts gives your boy the strength it needs now! How about it? Race to the bathing tree?"

Edelgard's hand stopped.

There had been an important change to her bathing ritual, mainly because of this guy.

She hesitated.

"The winner gets more roots at dinner-"

"Accepted!" Edelgard smacked the books close. "I'm not sure about millennia, but I'll indeed have much time to study!"

"Great. So, when will we-?"

"START!"

Edelgard dashed out the hut, leaving a perplexed Starkus behind. She knew how fast he was, and as long as she was way too slow to compete with him fairly, she'd have to resort to these kinds of tactics.

That's what she told herself, at least.

"That Shorty... honestly."

Starkus allowed her this head start. Over the past few months, she had not only gotten used to scaling huts but racing on them, too.

He remembered how strongly Edelgard used to complain about the swinging of the bridges... maybe the solid ceilings made her feel safer?

Whatever it was, she was faster than Starkus allowed her to believe.

He only won with her using head starts because he knew the short-cuts, and she didn't.

Starkus felt like he cheated... but then again, so did Edelgard.

A competitive smile showed on his face.

Wait for me, he thought! I'm coming for you!

Edelgard used the closest hut to climb up, then continuously swung herself forward on branches or simply jumped from hut to hut.

Something told her that branches should hurt her skin if she grappled them too forcefully, but the bark on these trees was smooth and soft, gentle to the touch.

As usual, Starkus allowed her this leeway.

She bit her lip in frustration at this obvious display of superiority, and she swung over the huts ever more quickly.

Today, she'd beat him!

To do that, she had to hurry!

The bathhouse was weirdly positioned in the net of bridges. While many bridges led to it, most of them led to a dead-end with a separate group of huts, while only two connections to the grand network of trees.

One of these points of connection was so far away that she would automatically give up if she went that route. That left only one bridge to head to.

Racing had quickly become one of her favorite past times, next to studying and bathing. She was unsure of including eating and sleeping in that list, so generally, those were silent companions of the firstly mentioned pair of hobbies.

According to Starkus, racing was a rare thing to do, and if it was picked up, then only by men. Edelgard wondered if she had transformed into a tomboy-type woman, but that alone wouldn't stop her. She loved it, after all.

She had to take the feelings of the people below her into consideration as well, though.

Imagine having your roof pounded by a stomping elf just because they wanted to win a race. That would get you on their bad side, and you'd quickly get thrown out.

Starkus and Claudia told her that it happened before, at least.

Thus, she learned to sprint lightly, like a cat. There was no pounding sound with her every step, more like a silent approval of her touch, which was meant for the hut and Edelgard alone.

It was a liberating feeling.

Living with such a graceful race, she learned a great many things... though she wasn't one of them.

That had been proven by the physicians.

"..."

Shaking that thought out of her head, she swung through the trees at an even quicker pace, her destination in sight.

Today was the day, today she'd finally-

"Edelgard!" Starkus called, waving over her.

"No way!" she exclaimed, though she already suspected it. Panting from the effort, she landed in front of the calm Starkus, leaning against the bathing hut. His breathing was slow as if he hadn't extended an effort. Edelgard hung her head. "You are just too crazy... did you take the long route again? To think you're not even out of breath..."

"Women typically don't race against men, after all," he deliberated, playfully scratching his chin.

He basked in his victory.

"Are you telling me that my boobs are too big, again?" she demanded, both hands on her hips and sounding angry.

She was only messing with him, though, and Starkus knew.

"Your boobs are the biggest I've ever seen," he said, nodding along. "They must get in the way."

"So if a man has a big penis, it also gets in the way?"

"... That's entirely different," he said, avoiding her gaze.

"How is that any different," Edelgard said, sighing as she supported her forehead. "Well, let's bathe, then. I'm soaked."

"Even though you took so long?"

"Take care, or my holy body will hit you in the face!"

"How violent..."

During these past few months, friendship had blossomed between the two of them. Out of every household, someone had to collect food for the day. For now, Edelgard was freed of that duty, meaning that Claudia and Starkus had to collect them, alternating each day.

Ever since getting to know Almerya, though, she spent all her time studying the language.

Almerya was the elder with the necklace.

Claudia understood her desire and tended to leave her to her studies. There was still a kinship with her, but Starkus's demanding nature caused a deeper bond to form between them.

Edelgard felt a bit guilty to get along so well with the husband of her best friend, but their feelings were entirely unromantic, so she allowed it to happen.

Inside, they parted and came out of two different cloth-bound doors. Walking past the other people, they chose their usual spot, sitting down at a distance.

Today, as usual, only a few elves used the bath.

Most of them would come crashing in like a wave when the food collectors came back in the evening. Those who bathed now were more akin to casual bathers.

"Haah..."

Sighing with abandon, Edelgard submerged her head, diving for a bit. The water wasn't deep, but when one left the step that was positioned at the borders, one could manage to not touch the ground or break through the surface.

When she came back up, she shook her hair and wrung it as dry as she could.

Starkus curiously watched her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Why?" Edelgard said, evading his question.

"You seem down for some reason," he explained, not leaving his spot. Touching a woman that wasn't your wife as a married man or touching a married woman when you weren't the husband in the bath were reasons enough to dispose of you. No male elf wanted to risk that. "Is it about your hair again?"

"Ah... yeah, it's gotten long."

"Your hair does grow faster than ours," Starkus deliberated, observing her from afar. "And in more places."

"... Yeah."

Edelgard smiled without smiling, continuously stroking her hair. It was the only thing she found similar to these... elves. Having the chance to see them every day brought strange things to her attention.

For example, they had no hair.

Sure, they had eyebrows and hair, noble as silk hanging from their head, but nowhere else. Not on their arms, not in their armpits, not around their genitals... not even on their skin.

Where Edelgard found countless tiny hairs all over her body, invisible to the unobserving eye, there was no such thing on Claudia's skin.

Or Starkus's...

Or any elf's...

"Does it bother you? We could always get you another hair cut. I'm sure Almerya would love to help you out again."

"But simply cutting it won't help, will it?"

"Every elf gets a hair cut. It just takes a few centuries with us."

Edelgard sighed.

"I know you're trying to cheer me up. I know and I understand... but that doesn't mean your words don't sting..."

Starkus blinked in concerned surprise, then submerged his head in the water. He, like Edelgard, dived below the surface, gasping for air when he came up next to the waterfall. He smiled as he watched it fall from the leaf above through the hole, violently meeting the tub water's surface.

Edelgard chuckled.

This was another thing she came to enjoy. Women generally avoided the crashing might of the water, but curiosity got the better of her.

Claudia always advised her to stop, too.

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

"I dare you to hold out longer than me," Starkus challenged, walking in.

The water would be so loud that he couldn't hear her anymore, but Edelgard found herself mumbling, anyway.

"The goal of this exercise is to find my inner peace and by that... coming out faster would be the most awesome thing, deserving of victory."

Again, it's not like Starkus heard her.

Edelgard shrugged, joining him below the shower. Her knees buckled as her weight seemingly doubled, and many liters crashed into her exposed back and head.

The sensation was both heavily unpleasant and surprisingly liberating.

Starkus's overbearing enthusiasm for these things definitely influenced her perception of this hobby, though.

Without his persuasion, she wouldn't have dared to cross a waterfall's path.

Thanks to him, she did something very unladylike.

While Edelgard was thankful to Starkus, she couldn't help but feel that this was yet another thing separating her from those around her.

Her current position supported her feelings.

She felt very alone.