I woke up with a stiff neck. I got up off the floor and went to look out the window. Vankari and Mau were outside. I opened the door and went to join them. “The sun feels good today.” Vankari turned around to see me standing at the side of the door, looking down at some blue flowers. “Your night gown looks better at night than during the day,” he whispered.
At that moment, I realized that I had been sleeping for over a day, since yesterday afternoon, at least on this time schedule.
"You wouldn’t happen to have a change of clothes, would you?” I saw Vankari give a little nod at Mau to go inside.
“I might have something suitable for you to wear in my trunk.” At that he went back inside the cottage and I followed.
Mau had already pulled out the trunk he referred to and stood next to it until he opened it. “These clothes inside here belonged to my beloved mother”, he said softly. “I of course have no need for them now, since she is gone. I’ve just been saving them these years for no reason.” Vankari opened the trunk and pulled out the first top dress. “How about this one?” he asked. He pulled the dress completely out and stood up to show me. It was the most beautiful and frilly dress I had ever seen. It was a rosy color dress with red lacing on the collar and sleeves. It has lots of black lace all round the bottom of the dress and at the top. It came with a black corset with leather ties. I don’t think I have ever seen such a beautiful dress in my life. Vankari walked closer and held the dress in front of me. “This can be put to better use than just collecting dust in that trunk. Try it on. See how it fits.”
“You want me to try it on right now? Right here?”
“Well I don’t see why not.”
“Um, maybe the simple fact of PRIVACY should come to mind if I need to try on a dress!” He got the message. Both he and Mau went into the other room of the cottage to give me some “space”, while I tried on the dress. I took off my lacy nightgown, folded it up, and put it in the trunk to take the place of the dress. I put on the dress and then tried to arrange the corset vest over it, but I couldn’t manage to tie it from the back. “Um, Vankari, could you come here for a minute?” I shouted.
“What is it now?” As soon as he said that, he looked up and saw me in the dress. He must have thought I looked good, I guess, because I could tell from the instant shock on his face when he saw me. “Vankari, could you help me tie the corset on from the back?” I asked. He walked over and fumbled with the strings behind me for what seemed like a minute. “Are you having any trouble back there?”
Saying that must have startled him, for he tied my corset a little too tight. “A little looser please!”
“Sorry, I haven’t done this in a while.”
After what seemed like 5 minutes he got it right. When he finished he stepped back and walked a full circle around me before saying anything. “Well how do you like it?” I asked.
“It’s very nice looking.”
“That's it?”
“It will suite you well Efeshia.” After the dressing ordeal Mau finally came back in the room. “You look like a queen, Efeshia”, she said with an eerie tone. “Thanks, I guess.”
After I stopped looking in the mirror at the beautiful dress I was wearing, I felt hungry, very hungry. “What do you guy have to eat around here?” I asked Vankari.
“Whatever you can find in the forest.”
. “You can’t be serious”, I thought. “How can they possible think I’m going to go hunting just for breakfast?” I quickly noticed Vankari put on his cloak and mask before opening the door. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to get us something to eat. Just stay here with Mau and wait for my return”. At that he stormed out the door. I ran over to the window to see him mount on his majestic white horse and ride away into the distance.
“I wonder where he’s going.” I said out loud.
“Don’t concern yourself with petty matters, Efeshia.” I turned around to see Mau standing right behind me.
“Mau, I didn’t see you there.” Mau turned around and walked over to a chair by the window. I noticed that her features looked more mature in the sunlight than at night. “How old are you exactly Mau?” She seemed startled at the question for a moment.
“I never really thought about my age much.”
“Why?” I asked.
“It doesn’t really concern you, but if you must know, I’m about 30 years old.”
“WHAT?” I shouted. “How could you possibly be 30 years old? You look like a little kid!!!”
“Well you look like an old lady!” she shouted back.
“Did it ever dross your mind that humans and pixies age differently? In my race, I will have the appearance of a child until I’m about 40. After 40, my features and body will mature, and I will look older.”
“Does this mean Vankari is over 40?”
“No, not exactly. Vankari is not a pixie but an elf. Elves grow up until they get to their 20's. When they hit their 20's, they age as slow as pixies, staying young looking for a long, long time”.
“Oh, that's nice”, I said stupidly. “I’m 15 years old but I’ll turn 16 next month”. Mau turned the chair she was seated on around, to face the window.
“Vankari took a fancy to you, Efeshia”, she said blatantly.
“What does that suppose to mean?”
“I've watched Vankari keep strangers before and this is the nicest he’s been to anyone.” “I guess you’re right, after all he did give me his mother’s dress.”
“Well are you enamored of him?” she asked impatiently.
“What! Of course not, I just meet him yesterday. I hardly know the guy and you’re asking me if I like him?”
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, but you must understand that Vankari and I go way back. I’ve known him all my youth and this is the first time I’ve noticed him go all out for a stranger.”
“You make Vankari seem rather cold, never going all out for a stranger?”
“He trusts no one, usually. I guess he made an exception for you though.”
“Well I’m glad he did. I have no way of knowing how to get back to my home and you’ve shown me great kindness. I appreciate it. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but if you’re a pixie, shouldn’t you have wings?”
“I did, but they cut off when I was very young.”
At that Mau said nothing more and just gazed out the window, waiting for Vankari to return.
0 comments:
Post a Comment