Uncle Uncle, where are you? Have you forgotten already? Varci yells with anticipation.
No child! I havent forgotten anything. Now What exactly was I supposed to remember? Angus says furrowing his brow, but not able to hold back his sly smile. Varci scowls at him as he begins to chuckle.
Of course I remember my favorite nieces Finyale! Angus says with a hug. Finyale is the tradition of a dark elf becoming an adult, it means a young elf can finally go out on its own and make its own decisions, and though Varci is actually much too young at only nineteen summers, to Angus dismay he has to let her experience the world as an adult.
Varci packed her bag and began preparing weeks ago, hiding her short swayves within, and preserving some food for wherever her new adventure would take her. She knew that there would be a few days of celebrating for her and the three other elves whose Finyale starts today.
Varci thinks about the other elves saying goodbye to their families. Her uncle is the only family that she has ever known.
Uncle, do you think Ill ever meet my parents? These words leave Varcis lips without her consent and she feels as surprised to hear them as Angus is. She has never spoken of her parents with him, even though she always wanted to. Angus looked at her sadly and only said I dont know. Varci thinks she may have upset him, and they sit in silence for just long enough for the reality to sink in. She is leaving soon, and neither of them knows what to do.
We should head into town soon, the celebration isnt long off. Angus says, breaking the silence.
Uncle we have all day? Varci says inquisitively, knowing that it only takes a few hours to get to town, and the celebration starts when the sun leaves the sky.
I know girl, but I want to stop and see my friend Vahx. Angus says with a smile. Varci had gone to town with her uncle once or twice a week for as long as she could remember, and they had never stopped anywhere except to pick mushrooms and berries, and he never mentioned a man named Vahx. He has a present for you. He says, flashing a quick grin and sensing her confusion.
The two began their walk, with Arburus trailing behind. Angus is intentionally making the walk longer, stopping to pick fruit and the occasional breather that he did not need. The thought of separating with his star-child breaks his heart, and Varci knows this. When thinking honestly with herself, Varci too is very scared to part with her uncle, and so she chooses not to rush him.
As the sun enters the latter half of its journey, the meandering trek the three have made still has not reached the graveyard marking the halfway point, when her uncle turns off into a trail they have never taken, and speeds up his pace.
This must be the way to his friends home. Varci thinks. Sometime after the thought crosses her mind, the roof of a tall cottage in the distance comes into view. The clearing that the house is in is beautiful, so much so that it overwhelms Varci slightly. The golden grass covered hills rolling off into the distance are like something out of a dream for Varci, who had only seen the swampy trail leading into town. She knows instantly that this is what Finyale is about, experiencing beauties such as this, and she feels less afraid knowing that there is a world of beauty that she has never seen. The moment is surreal and for the first time she feels almost ready for whatever may lie ahead.
They come upon the dwelling in a moment and Angus yells to his unseen friend. Varci is unprepared for what happens next. Five people walk from around the house, four of which looked normal, but one in the middle is no elf. His skin a golden brown, his hair a dull grey, and his eyes the color of the sky. Varci is afraid of this strange creature, but still curious. Why are his eyes so small, yet he is so large?
