In the Valley of a Thousand Footprints

[xv] The Girl in the Sky

"When you say 'can't speak' as in you can't speak or can't speak?" Efa inquired.

The girl giggled and wrote something else, showing it to Efa.

"Oh so you're a mute?" Efa asked after reading the writing on the notebook. "But then what's that gotta do with you being a half elf?" Efa's eyes quickly flicked to the pointy ears and pretty white hair.

She scribbled something and just gave the notebook to Efa. It read, 'you ask too many questions, what's your name?' 

Efa stared at it for a second before answering with a jerk, "oh -um, I'm Efa. . .Efa Quickfoot. Sorry I uh -"

Before Efa could finish, the girl walked closer and wrote on the notebook still in Efa's hands. 'How did you get here?' it read.'

"How I got here. . .? Oh, you mean how I got up here. Well I've been really good at climbing things since my youth."

'same' she scribbled. She sat down on the edge again and patted the space next to her. Efa obliged. 

With both pairs of feet dangling off the edge, the two girls sat in silence, basking in the setting sun as it lowered itself ever so slowly into the Western sky. Efa knew that being in the sky was relaxing, she didn't know that having a companion would help more. She felt at peace. Forgetting about her problems, she flashed her mind to the girl sitting next to her. Wynne huh. . .

"Hey, how do you pronounce your name?" Efa asked.

The girl thought for a moment, biting the end of her pencil, then wrote, 'winnie.' Efa nodded and turned away. It was hard not to stare into her eyes. The way the sunlight reflected into her eyes emphasized a beautiful hazel hue, sending a shiver down Efa's spine. It didn't help that they were sitting very close either. 

She noted the girl's attire, a White linen blouse that appeared a little to big for her, a brown sleeveless vest that sat around her shoulders and boyish black shorts and brown boots. The almost mismatch of garb made Efa think of when she would get late for work and accidentally wear whatever clothes were within grabbing range.

Efa peeked her head over the edge and gulped. They really were in the sky. You never truly know how high something is unless you reach the top. There were birds casually flying through the air above them. Light was becoming scarce.

"Do you normally just sit together with any person you meet up here?" asked Efa, sweeping back her hair so that it flowed behind her ears, "you seem incredibly relaxed, even though I'm a stranger."

Wynne raised an eyebrow and smirked. She wrote in the notebook, 'you're the only person I've met here' then thought a little and added 'don't worry, I can defend myself.' 

Efa thought about the last part. She found it quite hard to picture the sweet, delicate girl beside her wielding a sword or firing off spells. No no, I can't think that. I don't know anything about this girl. For all I know, she might even be a serial killer.

Wynne caught sight of Efa's thoughtful look and giggled quietly. Efa smiled. It had been a long time since she had been in the company of another girl. Cly and Elli had taken up much of her life the past few weeks and they hadn't met anyone during their journey. Efa was starting to get curious about this girl. She had heard of half-elves but had never seen one and the fact that Wynne couldn't speak made her wonder about the differences between elves and humans. Having been told in her youth that elves were beings who were far more attuned to the Magai Records, Efa had to believe that half-elves had the same level of magical capabilities. 

Wynne suddenly scrawled a few words on the notebook that was still in Efa's hand's and looked up expectantly. It read, 'where're you from'

"Uh -I'm from. . .C-Cayrnr. Have you heard of it?"