Ever So Lightly- Book 1

12

 Despite how late she had gone to her tent the night before, Zephyr woke early to the sounds of others leaving their tents and beginning their days. She lay in the bedroll that Nakomi had given her, relishing the warmth it provided. As she lay there, Zephyr thought back to the events of the night before. She felt her cheeks warm as she remembered dancing with Jasper. She had been so exhausted that she had allowed herself to let go in a way she usually wouldn't. In a way, she was proud of herself, because by letting herself have a little fun she had truly enjoyed the evening. And stars, it had felt so good to have a nice time and relax, even if just for an evening.

Zephyr desperately wanted to stay with the carnival on their trip to Faron. She felt comfortable with Nakomi and safe among this strange group of people. Safe was something she hadn't felt at all since the night the bookshop had been attacked. She did feel as though she could trust Jasper and Bennet, but she also felt that hiding in this large group of people would be much less of a risk than running on their own. Zephyr also sensed her curiosity about Nakomi and everyone else who worked for the Carnival growing, and she very much wanted to learn more about them and how they lived as they travelled. She thought back to how they had all seemed so joyful and content the evening before, everyone laughing and dancing and simply enjoying life. It had been wonderful to see how free they all seemed to be. As she pondered it all, Zephyr found her thoughts drifting back to dancing with Jasper, how he had seemed to watch her every movement with intensity the entire time he had been with her, how she had rested her head on his chest when sleep had begun to weigh on her too heavily. Shaking her head to clear the jumble of thoughts that were encroaching on her mind, Zephyr decided it was time to get up and focus on the day's more important matters.

After stretching and enjoying one last moment of warmth, Zephyr crawled out of the bed roll and immediately felt the hairs on her arms prickle at the cold air that washed over her. She shivered and wrapped a cloak around her shoulders. Nakomi had placed the cloak on top of a stack of folded clothes she handed to Zephyr before bidding her goodnight. Zephyr looked though the clothes and was relieved to find a simple grey dress, much less likely to make her stand out as the dress from the night before had. Zephyr braced herself as she dropped the cloak and began to undress. She repressed a squeak as the cold air rushed her body and began to dress as quickly as she could manage in the small tent. Once she had the dress and a thick pair of woolen stockings on, she quickly wrapped the cloak back around her shoulders. She got a good look at it this time before she fastened it across her chest. The cloak was made from a thick, coal black velvet, with wool lining the inside, keeping the heat from her body trapped within it's folds. It had a hood that she could pull up to somewhat shield her face as well. Zephyr actually quite liked the cloak and though she might have to offer to purchase it from Nakomi if the woman could spare it.

The dress on the other hand was, well, a dress. Zephyr missed her simple pants and decided she would try to have them washed and dried by the end of the day, she didn't think she could endure another day wearing something that flapped around her ankles. The skirts were just so inconvenient. She did have to admit, though, that what she had worn the evening before was very pretty. Maybe when, or more likely, if her life ever calmed down, she would purchase a pretty dress like that one. Just for special occasions.

Zephyr left her tent as soon had she had the cloak wrapped around her and began to search for Nakomi. As she walked through the camp, she saw that most people were tearing down their tents and loading the caravan's wagons. She wondered how long it would be before they began to move on.

After about five minutes of walking around with no real direction guiding her steps, Zephyr saw a group of men and women performing on the edge of the camp. What caught her eye was the way they were performing. Each person held a staff of wood, and the ends of each staff were on fire. The performers were twirling their staffs in a synchronized manner as they wove among one another. Every few moments one of the staffs would go sailing end over end up into the air, only to be caught as it came back down, the performer who had tossed it up continuing their act seamlessly. Zephyr was mesmerized as she approached the group, her eyes wide with amazement. She noticed Dalin among the performers just as he noticed her watching. He gave her a smile as he continued with his performance.