A Kind of Magic

Sixty

The large clearing encompassed by circles and semicircles of wooden huts respectful of its natural, irregular shape was bathed in twilight morphing into dusk as they walked through the last row of trees separating it from the forest.

"Aryana, I wanted to ask you something," Peregrine muttered, his eyes sweeping around the village to land at Auriel and her friends, perfectly recognisable despite the fast falling night, as they stood huddled, giggling and whispering in front of one of the cottages, their bodies poorly concealed by layers of bright, diaphanous veils. 

In that moment, he despised the elf for putting him in this situation, as much as he despised himself for introducing him to Annwyn. He knew that Leodhais wasn't bad, that he was just young and unused to reckoning with the consequences of his reckless actions, that if there was someone able to nudge him in the right direction and help the irresponsible boy grow into an honourable man, it was Annwyn. He also realised how much he himself got used to him during their quest, just like he got used to Gilderoy; they both felt almost like a family... Yet, he would never ask Aryana about Auriel now, leaving Leodhais worrying until he collected the courage to speak with her personally because it would serve him as a lesson if Annwyn wasn't involved. 

"You can tell your elf friend and his lady not to worry. Auriel isn't with child." Aryana announced, gathering his worries before he could word his question, and smiling at him briefly as her bright, wise eyes hiding in the shadows cast by her bonnet met his before the first werewolves noticed their arrival and started walking towards them.

They all knew Peregrine and so they pooled around him in a tide of bodies, separating him from Aryana, their welcomes followed by curious questions about their quest and demands of introducing them to the princess and the rest of his company which they hadn't met yet.

He seeked Gilderoy's eyes before he started to reply-- Aryana, very typically, used the moment of confusion to make her escape; the shy girl was half across the clearing already, headed towards her hut. Don't let her go, he tried to transmit to his friend wordlessly, you two need to talk if she is to come with us tomorrow. Luckily, Gilderoy was as quick to understand as the werewolf girl and took off after her inconspicuously even as Wilbur joined the noisy gathering and asked to be introduced to King Alaric's heir.

Peregrine only managed to smile at Leodhais reassuringly before they were seated around the fire that was burning in the centre of the clearing, hoping the elf would understand that he could stop worrying. 

He did, it seemed; his long, relieved exhale attracting Annwyn's attention was the only evidence Peregrine needed. 

Peregrine's eyes kept falling at his sister while Fiona, seated at his side, her hand held tightly in his, hidden from view by the folds of his cloak, replied patiently to as many curious questions, her free arm wrapped protectively around Freddie, as Alexandra, seated on his other side.

Annwyn knew well, he was certain, that there had been something between Leodhais and the gorgeous young woman who appeared at his side materialising like an alluring ghost from the shadows erasing the world lying beyond the circle of light created by the flames to whisper in his ear, making him smile at her politely but shake his head. But she took it in her stride, wisely leaving the elf's past in the past, allowing him to kiss her in front of everyone after the other woman left.

When Wilbur and the other important men of his pack took pity on Fiona and allowed her to finally take a bite of food they had brought for them, expressing their surprise at her refusal to touch meat just like Peregrine, they turned to him with their next questions, but at least he had managed to eat something in the meantime. By the old gods, he had never wished to have avoided Wilbur's pack as much as he did now, when he had too many reasons not to avoid them...