Heiress of Arsieon: The Sword

Chapter III

Later in the day, as the sun was high above Arsieon, Vesar and Sholee were hanging clothes out to dry. Sholee took one of her scarves out of the straw basket and noticed a stain on it. "You need to scrub better," she told her brother. Smirking, Vesar replied, "How do I know you didn't just make it dirty to toy with me?"

"...My own scarf?"

"Haha! Fine."

As he was reaching for scarf, the siblings heard a large flapping sound approaching them. They looked up and smiled as Flayko landed beside them with Aida on his back.

"Good afternoon, Fanderbores!" he greeted them. Aida dismounted, ran up to Vesar, hugged him, and asked him, "Did you miss us?"

"Well, it was nice to have some relative peace and quiet," Vesar replied sarcastically.

"Then it's too bad we're back!" Aida exclaimed before hugging him again to his surprise. She then turned her attention to Sholee, wrapping her arms around her younger friend before lifting her off her feet. "Aah! Aida!" Sholee grunted.

An amused Flayko turned his attention from his human friends to Mount Brayfo where he saw his mother laying at the edge of the cliff outside the griffins' lair. He waved to his mother, and she waved back, wondering anxiously if he would soon return to his kin.

Back at the Kavonim homestead, Loen was splitting wood with an ax in the front yard while Evoni was sitting on the bench drawing a sketch of her husband. While taking a breather, he asked his wife, "Evoni, you want to take a few swings at this?"

She replied, "Why? I wouldn't want to interrupt the fine job you're doing, Loen." He laughed. They then heard a familiar flute tune and saw that they were being approached by their daughter and her friends.

Flayko was carrying Aida's pack on his back, Aida was carrying both her painting wrapped in cloth and her sheathed sword, Sholee was carrying a basket of goods draped in cloth, and Vesar was playing his flute. The parents let out a sigh of relief for their daughter and feathered friend returning safely, and Evoni looked up to the sky praying, "Thank you."

Loen joked as he and Evoni approached the group, "Well, I didn't expect Aida and Flayko to bring the Fanderbores back from Elondis! They must have wandered quite far from home!" Vesar and Sholee laughed, and Aida hugged her parents.

"How did the traveling go?" Loen asked. Aida paused and replied, "Mostly smoothly."

"...Mostly? What didn't go smoothly?"

Aida paused again. "You were right." She put her sword into her father's hands. "I did need this." Her parents' eyes widened, and Evoni asked what happened.

Sashee could see from Mount Brayfo what was unfolding at the Kavonim homestead, but she couldn't hear what Aida was saying. She turned to Fersorn and stated, "Whatever happened there, he's not rushing back to us." The griffin leader put his head down, and Sashee continued, "Perhaps there really is something about them that we're not seeing."

Fersorn replied, "We allowed him to visit the humans when we realized he could keep a close eye on them, and I'd rather not see for myself what they're capable of." He then turned around and walked back into the cave; Sashee looked back at the Kavonims in contemplation.

Aida had finished recounting what happened in Elondis, and Evoni asked, "Are you hurt?" After a pause, Aida explained, "We could be worse, but... Flayko and I could use some friendly company right now." Sholee put her arm around Flayko, Vesar put his hand on Aida's shoulder, and Loen kissed his daughter on the forehead, telling her, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Well, at least you prepared me."

After another pause, Evoni asked, "What did go well? Did you visit Gram and Gramp?"

"Yes, they're doing great," Aida assured her.

"Where else did you go?"

Aida smiled and put the painting into her mother's hands. Evoni lifted the cloth; she was in awe, and Loen told his daughter, "You're getting better all the time, Aida." She smiled bashfully.

Sholee then leapt into the conversation with, "Mr. and Mrs. Kavonim, I made these for you and Aida!" She handed Loen her basket, and he removed the cloth, revealing small cakes.

"Splendid, Sholee! They look like they would go well with tea, if you two would like to stay for some."

Vesar exclaimed, "Oh, we'd love to!"

"We?" inquired Sholee. Vesar's expression fell blank as she glared at him; she then cracked a smirk, and realizing the prank, he began ruffling her hair. "Hey!" Sholee cried while pushing his arm away.

"How about you, Flayko?" asked Loen.

"Of course, headman!" Flayko declared.

"Then let's get it ready!"

Loen began walking back toward the house, and Aida put her arm around Flayko with a smile on her face and a new appreciation for the skills her father taught her, and for the company she could always find on Arsieon.