Born To Hail

Chapter 20

"You're awake!" She exclaimed when she came to. She wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug and kissed him even deeper. "What happened to you? How did you get better?" She asked him between kisses. A moment later she remembered herself and pulled away, shifting back into her cold stoic manner.

"I'm still trying to sort it all out myself, but I'll explain it to you and the others later." Without meaning to his words came out ominously. He sat up in the bed; subconsciously he rubbed his left shoulder. Much to his surprise there was nothing there. His skin felt flawless, there was no pain, and when he looked at it he saw no scar. Thank you, he thought to his sword, Halian's sword according to Ian.

"I'm hungry where can we get some breakfast?" Sebastian asked, as if on queue his stomach released a mighty roar that bellowed through the bedchamber.

"It would appear so." She said with a slight smile. "I'll have some brought up to us."

While they waited for their food the two of them walked out onto the balcony connected to Ceradell's room. Sebastian was awestruck by the view outside; although he had walked through Entnahil he was in his crazed state of mind and remembered nothing. This was his first real view of Ceradell's home and it was almost as beautiful as she was, almost. He followed the elf through the stretches she had taught him; he opened up his senses to the scenery around him.

The atmosphere of the elven camp was perfect; a whimsical breeze gently caressed his shirtless torso. The sweat on his body was from his exercise and not the temperature of the air around him. He could smell life in the air, the fragrance of many species of flowers wafting on the breeze. Once he got his rhythm in tune with Ceradell he allowed his eyes to wander. Everything around him was vibrant, more so than anything he'd seen on Earth or so far on this world. The leaves on tree branches were a lively green and danced ever so slightly in the wind. Birds flying to and fro chirping away enjoying the day, he saw red ones brighter than Ziegfornell's scales, blue ones that would make the sky weep and yellow ones that would make the sun shy behind clouds. Even the browns of tree bark seemed less drab than any other tree he'd seen.

The two of them stretched in the sun halfway up a large maple, or so he guessed. On one side was an oak tree and on the other an ash, both of equal size. Ceradell explained to him that there were two more trees of equal size on the other end of Entnahil but he couldn't see them, for there was an enormous monarch tree blocking his view. He could see that all the trees were connected by their branches, and the branches formed walkways between them. The lesser trees rose another two hundred feet or so higher from his vantage point and the monarch rose several hundred feet higher than the tops of the lesser ones. The canopy of the monarch covered all yet some how an equal amount of light shone through onto everything below.

He saw many elves moving about the walkways between the trees or sitting on their own balconies enjoying the light of a fine day. One silver haired elf saw him gawking her way, before he averted his gaze she smiled and waved at him, he did the same in reply. He saw a raven-haired male effortlessly bound from branch to branch ignoring the walkways altogether. Sebastian gasped when it appeared the elf had missed his mark and fell a dozen feet through the air. With inhuman grace and dexterity the elf did a half turn in midair with arms stretched out he grasped a branch as he fell past swung under and back up through the air. He did a twisting somersault and landed on a different branch, the elf looked at him winked stuck his arms straight out like an eagle and fell backwards. The elf landed on the ground fifty feet below and bounded away disappearing from his sight. Sebastian mentally applauded the elf before feeling a tap on his sweaty shoulder.

"Our breakfast is here." Ceradell told him when he turned to face her. Lost as he was in the sights around him he hadn't heard anyone enter her room with their meal.