The Dragon Prince: After the War

4-Rayla

4

Rayla

This is not how I imagined my life going. When I was a child, I always dreamed about being this great elven warrior, maybe falling in love with another elf and starting family. I did not at all think I would become an elven soldier serving a human king- my friend- and falling in love with one of those "filthy" humans.

But now I've been exiled from my home for a crime I was wrongly accused of. I've discovered that humans aren't as bad as I always thought. There are some I would even call family.

Still, living in this land of the humans I feel like I am lost. A needle in a haystack. At least that's what humans say. I think.

The war is over, but it will take time for humans and elves to trust each other. I just have to wait. This isn't unfamiliar ground. When my parents were exiled, I was treated with distaste but soon people accepted me for who I was.

I just have to wait.

I hate waiting.

I see Callum sitting under a tree in the courtyard and walk towards him. "Hey," I say.

He jumps. Again, I notice the shadows under his eyes. First, on the walk, then in the council meeting, and now again. "Oh, hey," he answers. He sounds almost cagey.

"Are you sure you okay?" I ask him, looking worriedly. "You look like you were bitten by soulfang," I joke.

He gives me a weak smile. "I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep last night. Nightmare."

I grimace. I'm no stranger to nightmares. "What about?"

"Nothing important," he answers. I doubt it based on the darkness of his shadows.

"Well, I'm here for ya," I say and kiss his cheek. He smiles and turns to me, kissing my lips.

"Ugh, can you guys do that somewhere else?" asks a voice. Soren. I can see Callum's cheeks heat up a couple of degrees. I am so going to murder Soren. I think he can sense it. "Whoa, whoa, elf lady," he says, backing up a couple of steps. "Don't give me that look. I just came here to tell you we're doing drills, and as the co-leader of the crowngaurd..."

I sigh. He's right. I should have been there five minutes earlier. "I'll see you later?" I ask Callum. He nods. "Have fun with your drills," he says with a smile.

"Have fun with whatever ya do," I answer with a matching smile. Soren rolls his eyes. I smirk at him.

"So what are we doing today?" I ask Soren as we walk towards the training field where the rest of the crownguard has already gathered, swords drawn.

"Well, I was hoping you could show them some of your elf-y tricks."

It's my turn to roll my eyes. "Elf-y tricks?"

"Yeah. That thing with the double sword and the attack..."

"Sweep the leg?" I ask, grinning.

"No!" he says, looking at me with a glare. "Sweep the leg is not a thing in sword fighting."

I roll my eyes again and draw my swords faster than he can blink. Before he can even yell out, he's on the ground, gasping.

"Any more sword fighting lessons?" I ask, offering him a hand up.

"Oh, you're on, elf," he says, drawing his own sword.

"Can you guys please do this later?" says one of the humans in line for drills.

"I'll defeat you later, elf," Soren says to me.

"Not if I defeat you first, human," I answer, walking to the crownguard.

I'm drenched in sweat by the end of it.