From The Shadows »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ(excl.part3)«

EIGHT

EIGHT

It wasn't until I was sat at the head of the table with Kharis on my left and Vaeril on my right with Ruven next to him that it suddenly clicked that it was Saturday evening and that I'd only come here yesterday. With all the sleeping and waking, learning, and talking, I hadn't realised that I'd only been here a day.

As Kharis and Vaeril spoke in Elvish, I felt awkward. Glancing to my right showed me Edyrm, he gave me a look that told me to stay silent and eat. And so I did. From the corner of my eye, I saw Haemir grinning like a fool. I couldn't see Eltaor, but I knew he was behind me.

Al tapped my thigh as she passed, when I looked at her, she offered me a smile. I smiled back and continued to the meal of chicken and veg. Damn did the elves like their veg. It seemed like five-sixths of the plate were veg. But at least I had some meat, I guess. For a sudden moment, I felt sorry for the dwarves who had a meal at Riverndale in the film The Hobbit. Thinking about The Hobbit reminded me that I still needed to read that book. I mean, if the film had been good, what had the book been like?

Eventually, Kharis and Vaeril stopped speaking, then when they did speak next, they spoke in English. I felt a hit of anger as I realised that they'd purposefully spoke in Elvish so that I wouldn't understand them.

"Do you like it here, Shorna?" Kharis asked me, resettling his wings behind him. All the chairs around the dinning room where made for elves with wings.

"Apart for not understanding anyone, it's great," I replied. I saw the warning Edrym gave me.

Kharis smiled, and with that, I knew he understood exactly what I'd meant. "I'm glad you like it here. If you could, would you want to return to your previous home?"

I frowned. Why was he asking me this? "I don't know. I only had Kar there, here, I have friends."

"Friends?"

I nodded in response, leaving it at that. I saw Al move around proudly at my words.

"Humm... If you are intending to stay here with us, Vaeril will teach you about us, how to fight for self-defence, and politics."

Yeah, self-defence would be useful, I grumbled mentally. Wait! "Politics?"

"As the Shorna A Jal'Tel'Quessir–"

"A what-what?" I knew it was rude to interrupt, but I had a feeling that I would want to understand all of this. From my lesson earlier, I knew that the "Tel'Quessir" meant elves, but Jal I didn't recognise. "What's Jal?"

Thankfully, Kharis didn't look too bothered with my interruption. "I shall start again in complete English, my apology, Shorna. As the Princess of All Elves, you will have certain duties that we Rulers had taken on when we thought the Royal line was gone."

I frowned. "If you thought we were all dead, how did you find me?"

"The drow thought there was still a possibility, and there was, you," he told me. "When we heard that the drow had sent a group to kill you, we sent Edyrm."

"You sent one man against many?"

Kharis smiled. "Edyrm is one of the best, Shorna. You should be grateful that he accepted to be your Guards Captain, with his rank and reputation, he could have said no without repercussions."

"Did Haemir and Eltaor, or even Alioene have a choice?"

Kharis looked at me like a bug that had done something interesting. "Why do you care, Shorna?"

"It's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair."

"Kyra," Edyrm's voice was like a blade of warning them. Warning me that I was getting close to danger.

After a few minutes of silence, Kharis spoke to the room. "Legan naust est dos tuon nid nimrais ta vaell quo hailene nos Shorna. Dost aduma dro dost eset oth ni daruss. Vi oth aw qirn dos tuon vell hailene dos usa minraisca. Dro vi oth maren go nala oth keasularus dost eset."

As it had been before, it was Haemir who translated. "Leave now if you do not want to protect or serve our Shorna. Your rank and your reputation will be secure. I will also let you do the service you first wanted. And I will command that none will insult your name."

After a few moments, Kharis's sky blue eyes looked at me. "There's your answer, Shorna. They want to be here."

"Why should they trust your word?"

Kharis raised a brow. "I have never, not once, gone back on my word. And when an elf speaks in Elvish, they cannot lie."

But even with Kharis's words, I wanted to turn and see if Eltaor had left. He'd been the one who appeared as though he hadn't wanted to be around.

Silence reigned until Vaeril finally spoke. "Your learning skills are quick, Shorna. Tomorrow, I will be testing your combat skills."

"Thank you, Taerven," I said while replying mentally to the last, combat skills which I have zilch of. For a moment, I wondered if Edyrm would teach me something, but then I thought better. No, I'd just wait for tomorrow.

As dinner came to an end, a wave of tiredness washed over me. Silly with the amount I'd slept so far.

"Edyrm," Vaeril started. "Tesfa nos Shonra ta dhessa salen, jukka oth lavas dhessa tanthalas belath."

I knew what ever he'd said involved me since he'd said Shonra, but I had no idea what everything else meant except that it involved Edyrm. As Edyrm came over, he held his hand out. Frowning, I took it, trusting him. As soon as we were out the room with Haemir and Eltaor behind with Al, Edyrm explained what he'd said.

"I didn't feel tired until I finished," I told them.

"You worked hard today," Eltaor said quietly.

"Yeah, and talking to Van'Vansata the way you did probably didn't help much either," Haemir snickered.

I frowned at Haemir. I was, admittedly, surprised that Eltaor was still following behind. "I wasn't going to let him tell you to stay with me because he'd ordered you to."

"She's right," Edyrm agreed. I'm what? I thought as Edyrm continued. "Those who aren't willing, will be more likely to get her harmed."

Everyone was silent after that. It wasn't long until Edyrm was pushing me into bed, telling me that Alioene would change me. I heard Kar's purr as I fell asleep.

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