Flower Falls and Crystal Calls

Some Fresh Air

Chapter 4

Elle ignored the girl's questions and stood. She placed a hand on the wall to steady herself and ignored the man as well. "I need time."

Yeul sighed and gestured for Praes to move away. She didn't understand everything yet, but she did know this woman was pulled from somewhere, perhaps somewhen, entirely different. It was not surprising that she would need time to adjust.

What was surprising was her reaction when she stood and finally noticed what she was wearing. She looked down at herself and then glared back at Yeul. "Where are my clothes?"

The girl answered serenely. "The healers changed you when they treated your wounds. You had several from your arrival, as well as the bump to your head. Do not worry, it is the standard garb of all women in Paddra. Although your hair will mark you as foreign, you will not stand out so much."

Elle desperately wanted to insist on getting a pair of pants instead, but she needed space to think first. Her priority was getting her head straight. "My things?"

Yeul gave her a small smile. "All back in equivalent locations."

At those words, Elle felt her waistband. At a familiar weight, she sighed in relief. She realized there were probably things she needed to learn from this girl, but she needed to take a walk first. "Is there anywhere I can't go?"

Yeul gave her a long look that made her want to fidget but finally answered. "Please do not leave the city. There are dangers outside that you may be unfamiliar with, and unless you are escorted, it would be unwise."

Elle nodded. "Makes sense. That's it?"

Yeul looked up to Praes, and the man frowned but held a pouch out to Elle. She took it with a raised brow. "You will have a place here to sleep, but that will be enough for food while you are in the city. It is not much, so keep a keen eye on it. Our city is peaceful, but that is no reason to be stupid."

Elle snorted. "I'm a cop. That's one thing you don't have to worry about."

He didn't seem to understand what she meant, but she was in no mood to explain. She figured out where to tie the thing and turned to leave. She was stopped when Yeul called out once more. "Oh Edelweiss, one more thing. This compound locks our doors at dark. Please be back by then."

Elle slowly turned back around and tried not to look like she wanted to murder the leader of the Farseer tribe. "No one calls me that. My name is Elle."

Yeul gave her a nonplussed smile. "But it is lovely. We have a similar flower, you know, though the one here near Paddra is purple."

Elle had to close her eyes and take several deep breaths as she counted to ten. Her voice was still hard. "It is not lovely, it's insane. My parents were obviously not thinking clearly. Now, I get that you may not understand, but please respect my wishes and don't call me that."

For the first time, Elle wondered if Yeul had done it on purpose as the girl smirked. She also wondered how much the girl wasn't telling her. "If I cannot call you by your name, then I must insist on calling you Emissary. It is unfortunate, as I had hoped we could get to know one another better."

Elle didn't like being called that much better, but as long as she wasn't called that blasted name, she'd deal with it. She gritted her teeth and nodded. "I'll be back by dark."

She didn't wait for a response before she pushed through the hanging cover and into an outer chamber. She was greeted by the sight of Caius standing next to the exterior door. He stood when he saw her, and she grimaced. "Emissary, are you feeling better?"