Valterra

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

                  

Chloe beamed. She hadn't seen her nephew since before his tenth name day. It surprised her that he still looked so much like himself, but now with a maturity which made it clear he had grown into a fine young man.

She remembered a tall, lanky lad, following sheep and running around the farm tripping over his own feet. A memory of the one summer solstice celebration she had taken him to in Dunn sprung to mind. All the older children were in a line, dancing, and it was Avos who could not manage to get the steps right. He tripped over his feet continuously until he bowed out of the dance himself. Chloe remembered how embarrassed he had been. She wondered if he ever mastered those steps.

There were a couple hours until supper so she felt the need to start preparing. She thought a boar rump would do well, with roasted potatoes and peppers. She also saved a bottle of wine for the last few years. The Prince had given it to her on her fiftieth name day. That was quite the celebration, half of the inner city attended. Could Avos drink wine now? Of course he could.

Chloe knew why Avos was in Bolster city and why he was with Marcus. Marcus was not her brother, though she was uncertain if Avos knew the truth about him. She would have to remember to hold her tongue as much as she could. However, they did share the same blood ties so Marcus was a true ancestor. But Marcus had been alive for centuries. He may be related, but Chloe had a hard time accepting him as family and it unnerved her to recall the stories of Marcus' involvement in the Great War.

She only met him once before, everything she knew about had come from Avos's father, her brother-in-law. She remembered the exact morning he brought an infant Avos and his parents to her farm. Marcus had explained the importance of keeping him sheltered; not letting too many new people into his life for fear his identity would be discovered.

Though Chloe did not want to think about the real reason Avos was in town. She didn't want to think about what he was and what he may become. She wanted to be a comfort to him now. Imagine what must be going through his head? He seemed calm enough, she supposed. Yet there was a light in his eye. Maybe she had imagined it, but he seemed more divine.

Potatoes. Light, keep your head women, he's still a child not a god. Where are those potatoes? She remembered and grabbed the vegetables from her lower cupboard just as Elise came bursting through the door. The women looked dishevelled, like she had just had a tussle or was shaken about in some sort of cat fight.

"Potatoes." Elise held out her hands to Chloe, asking her to hand over some of the work.

"Might I ask what you were just up to?"

Elise made a little half witted chuckle. "Oh you could ask, and I could tell, but I'm sure you wouldn't believe me anyhow."

Chloe scrunched her face, feeling perplexed. What had just happened to the young women who was now frantically slicing and dicing the taters? Chloe allowed her to remain silent and finish what she was doing before prompting her again.

"Did you have a run-in with somebody? Someone hurt you, a patient?"

Elise took a quick look at her clothes and felt her hair. "Oh this, no." She laughed. "This is just me losing it a little bit". She grabbed her hands and pulled at her hair then pumped her arms in the air gesturing towards the Light. Chloe suddenly realized that this was serious, whatever Elise was about to tell her had gotten her very worked up. Though instead of revealing anything further, she inquired about her nephew. "How much do you know about Avos?"

Chloe wasn't sure if it was her tone, or the way she worded her question, but she was suddenly very aware that Elise had found out something. "What do you want to know about him?"

"Well for starters, how about why an elf, no, The Elf, the Warden of all that is Humankind shows up here, works all this magic on me, fills my head up with images of Avos and myself working together, and all this other crazy stuff he can do, and then tells me I'm supposed help save the world?"

Chloe did not respond at first. She waited, looking at Elise to make sure if she was actually serious. Finally she asked, "there's an elf here?"

Elise made that half mad chuckle again. "Actually no, he is gone now. His parting gift to me was to scare the Light out of me right before he left, and with that little smirk he does."

"'He does?' Elise! How long has he been here?"

"Since the night before you released me from your service."

Chloe did a quick calculation in her head. "Six nights ago!"

Elise began to tell Chloe all about how she stumbled upon the elf and helped him. That she had kept him hidden in her room while he healed. How he then completely freaked her out by revealing who he was and showing her visions of Avos right after their meeting with him outside the Citadel. It had felt good to get it off her chest. Elise could feel herself begin to calm down, even if it was just a little.

"My goodness. We are in for quite the supper tonight, aren't we?"

"You're telling me!" Exclaimed Elise, and she hadn't even gotten around to telling her she was a witch. She thought it best to leave that surprise for later.