Crossing the Gates

Chapter 9: Shadows and Mischief

Father had arranged for us to stay at a traveler's inn that was nestled right in the heart of the Crimson Peaks capital. It was a remarkably beautiful establishment, and I was happy to observe the staff that ran the place. The people of the Peaks were colorful and interesting, and though I had seen many of them in Celestia's Embrace, it was a wonderful experience to witness them in their homeland. Everything from their clothing to their physical features and hairstyles was different from the fashions of both Haven and the Ethereal Delta. The common folk here were hardy, often tall and muscular in stature with rounded faces and darker skin tones. My people in Haven preferred simple cotton clothing, lightweight and breezy for our temperate climate but mostly everyone here wore thicker coats that hung below their waist and the material seemed to be a much thicker fibrous cloth. 

Aurae snapped me out of my people-watching when she sat down at the dining table next to me and Taylin. The common room of the inn didn't have as many visitors as places like Unity Oak had, but my father and I did spot a few other Aurashines and traders from Haven. It was comforting to see some of my people this far from my home, and my father made it a point to introduce me to some of them and catch up on any news from Haven. 

"Well, we've had quite an eventful journey haven't we? You two must be starving." Aurae said as she took her seat between Taylin and me. "Arick put in an order for us, we should be dining soon and then we can all get some rest."

I noticed that Aurae looked exhausted, which caught me by surprise as she was always so composed. "Are you alright, Aurae?" I asked, offering her a genuine look of concern.

"I think it's just been a long ride, Taylin and I aren't as used to riding horses as you Haven men. Perhaps I overdid it with my magic when we encountered that massive beast on the trip here." She responded with a sigh, rubbing at her temples.

Taylin and I shared our concern, exchanging a glance out of the corners of our eyes before my father joined us at the table. He had been gathering information from the staff of the inn, as well as some of our fellow Aurashines. Apparently, there had been a recent construction accident in the city, and the infirmary was extra busy tending to injured men and women. Most of the other Haven men that were staying here were pitching in their healing talents to help out, and the Crimsonforgers had paid them in finely crafted goods to take back home for trade. Father explained that the two of us would visit the infirmary in the morning to assist and that I should make sure to get a good rest tonight so my magic was at its full potential.

The strange thing is, I didn't feel tired at all. I'm unsure if it was just because of the excitement of the journey, or the million questions I still had about the Dwarves and their ruins dancing around my mind but I knew that I would have trouble settling down for sleep. I could sense that Taylin was feeling the same way, I was getting better at reading her facial expressions or perhaps it was because of the amount of time the two of us had spent using the Aetherlink but I felt an odd sort of attunement to her emotions. I wondered if she was able to read me the same way, and decided to myself that her magic was probably strong enough that she could, regardless of whether we were linked or not.

That night, we dined on thick slabs of juicy boar. I don't think my step-sister and step-mother were accustomed to eating so much meat, as they had only taken small portions of it and seemed to prefer the bulbous root vegetables that the meal was served with. They were similar to potatoes from back home, but the crunchy skin and grainy texture of the vegetable itself were quite unpleasant to my palate, and I allowed Aurae to have my share of them. During dinner, I had zoned out of the conversation and my hand had slipped down to the Aetherlink I had kept in my pocket. The moment my hand touched it, Taylin met my eyes as though she could immediately feel the connection.