The Shadows of Erisdar (ON HOLD)

Chapter 18

Days had passed since Alex and Darryl had returned after their escape from the worgen. Yet, the thoughts of her family still haunted her. Darryl was back on his feet and nearly healed. They had both agreed to keep the cavern and everything in it to themselves. They would not be able to show it to anyone in any case since it had closed up behind them.Darryl also no longer confined Alex to the house since Darcy was convinced that she would stay. It seemed that he and Alex had come to a mutual understanding after their shared ordeal. Darcy had shown her around the pack grounds, and she had proceeded to check the health of the animals since she did not have much else to do. The pack was much larger than she had originally thought, with many members, much more than at Boronduin and the territory more than twice the size. These shifters lived differently from the werewolf packs. They weren't such tight-knit communities as she was used to. Back in boronduin, there were often pack gatherings for wolves to socialise, and the houses were closer together. Here, the people liked their space and only gathered for certain festivals, such as the Fall harvest festival, in which Darcy had enlisted Alex to help with the preparations.The festival was to take place on the equinox the next week. It was a shock for Alex to find that the fall equinox was merely days away, as it meant that she had been in the shadows' territory for over two months, though she didn't feel nearly as homesick as she had expected. Perhaps because her best friend was nearby.Alex and Darcy were at the house in the living room, listening to music and sketching ideas for dresses. Darcy had explained the details of the festival. It was very traditional, with the practice spanning back hundreds of years. It was filled with various folk music and dances, and this made Alex excited. She had always been fascinated with the old ways.Darcy was also teaching Alex the various dances that she did not know about for the festival. They both enjoyed this tremendously since they had always danced at Eldara. It was customary for students enrolled there to learn all types of ballroom dancing, but these folk dances were something different, and they invigorated her.She was grateful for the distraction as it kept her mind off Seamus and the creature that Darryl spoke of. If only she could get in touch with Anja. She thought to herself. Anja might just be able to shed some light on so many things.The day of the festival had arrived, and Alex and Darcy were busy getting ready in her room. The clothing was traditional, so they would be wearing simple dresses, fitted around the torso and waist with long-sleeved blouses and skirts that flared out at the waist down to their calves, where they sported leather boots that rose just past the ankles. The men would also be clothed in their proper traditional attire of loose, high-rise leggings, knee-length boots and loose-fitting shirts."You're squeezing my soul out of me." Darcy wheezed as Alex tightened the strings to Darcy's corset.Alex smiled amusingly. "I'm just returning the favour. Like I always say, payback stings.""Yeah, but you didn't seem bothered as much when I was tightening yours, and if I know you, then I swear you're making mine extra tight."Alex gaped in mock offence before smiling mischievously. "Well, you will have to look your absolute best for your darling velari." She said teasingly.Darcy took short breaths at the tightness of the corset. "There is no way in hell that I would punish myself like this for a man, and I highly doubt my best would be in this bloody thing." She exclaimed, earning a chuckle from them both, and Alex began to loosen the strings a bit so her friend would not suffocate as much.Darcy was happy that her friend was so playful lately. Alex had grown more comfortable here and was beginning to open up again. The real Alex that she had grown to love was quickly returning, and she knew that everyone here would fall in love with her personality, too."Do you plan on moving into the manor soon?" Darcy asked her as they did their hair and makeup."What do you mean?" Alex asked, surprised."Well, I'm quite convinced that you're going to stay here and soon call this pack your own. What I want to know is where you want to stay, in the manor with me or in your own cottage? There are a few cottages, but they aren't completely finished yet."Alex was caught slightly off guard by Darcy's words, but she was right. Alex was not going to leave this place. Even though her first weeks here had been awful, she had come to love the area and the beauty and mystery surrounding it. She even loved the beautiful house that she had been locked up in."Can't I stay here? At least for a while longer. Until I can decide," she asked after a while. She was already at peace in this house, and she would hate to leave it.Darcy gave a wide, mischievous grin, which Alex did not notice. "I suppose you could ask Darryl." She said, "Why don't you ask him today. He is, after all, your escort."Alex whipped her head around in shock. "What?" she asked in shock and disbelief."Well, you didn't have one, and it is customary that you should, so I told him to take you." She said matter-of-factly, but she had done it on purpose."Are you insane? He hates me. I've been a brat this entire time." Alex responded, shame lacing her voice.Darcy snorted in response. "No, he doesn't, you both just think the other hates you, but you're both mistaken. But yes, I agree, you have been a brat," which caused Alex to playfully smack her shoulder. "And so has Darryl."Alex groaned in annoyance. She did not want to be escorted by Darryl, and in fact, she was afraid. When Darcy showed no sign of this being a joke, she sighed and composed herself. She would get through this and everything would be fine, she reassured herself and proceeded to levitate make-up tools in the air, much to Darcy's annoyance, while waiting for her to finish. She had been practising her skills tenfold since she and Darryl had returned, and she was quickly improving.When they were finished, they slipped on their shoes and made their way downstairs. Alex quickly noticed the look of awe on Percy's face when he saw his velari descending the stairs, and an equal expression of awe coated Darcy's face. Alex was filled with warmth at the sight of the two.Watching the two made her heart feel warm and light. But in that joy, she missed the shadowed look on Darryl's face as he quietly stepped back. She purposefully tried to avoid him and instead made her way to the carriage.Less than an hour later, they were in the centre of the territory at the location of the festival. Darcy immediately dragged Alex away to the excitement. Before long, Alex and Darcy's stomachs were filled with an assortment of foods, and they were competing against each other in the various games there were to offer, where they both won a few prizes. Darcy also purchased a few fabrics and items of clothing along the way.As they moved around the festival, Alex began to hear a familiar whizzing sound followed by a thump. She followed the noise to the edge of the festival, where she discovered a field lined with painted rings on one side and men standing poised with a bow and knocking with an arrow, firing one after the other."Darcy said you would be captivated by this the most." Alex jumped as the voice pulled her out of her trance, and she wheeled around to find Darcy standing with her arms crossed and Darryl behind his back."And I was right, wasn't I?" Darcy said victoriously.Darryl smiled at her. "Stop goading yourself, I knew you were right. Which is why I brought these." He said as he brought his hands from behind his back. Alex gaped as he handed over her bow and quiver, and her belt containing her throwing knives.Her face immediately spread into a wide grin of pure happiness, and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around them both. Darcy gladly returned the hug, but Darryl, on the other hand, stood awkwardly frozen in place. He had not expected that reaction. Alex quickly pulled back like she'd been burned, surprised at her own actions. She had momentarily forgotten who Darryl was. She doubted that he appreciated her enthusiasm.Her recoil did not go unnoticed by him. She was uncomfortable but saved face for Darcy's sake. Just as he expected, she recoiled, confirming what he'd long suspected. He slipped back into his mask of indifference. Hatred, after all, was something he had learned to expect.Darcy joined her, and Darryl smiled at the expression on the young warriors' faces when the two girls signed up. They obviously thought that they were useless, but Darryl knew better. He had seen Darcy's skill with a bow, and she was good. He expected Alex would be even better with her training background.He joined the girls in the small competition, and soon, there was a small crowd gathered as the three of them began to fiercely compete against each other with bows and knives. When the victor arose, the crowd murmured in shock. Whispers of surprise and curiosity caught Alex's attention, and she quickly hid behind Darcy and Darryl in an attempt to rid herself of the attention. She was used to keeping to the shadows. Darryl was at first surprised that Alex had beaten him, but seeing her sudden shyness, he felt a pang in his chest at how vulnerable she suddenly seemed, so he dismissed the crowd, and they soon dispersed.After the amazement of Alex's victory, they were joined by Percy and went to get something to eat. Darryl was still amazed at her skill, but then again, Darcy said that she'd been shooting since she was eight, so it made sense. Still, it was an unexpected blow to his pride.Soon, more lively music began to play, and Alex could hear cheering and clapping rise. Darcy once again dragged her away, this time to a dance floor filled with men and women dancing along to the lively music.Alex stopped dead in her tracks before Darcy could pull her into the open. She was suddenly very self-conscious and shy. When Darcy failed to pull her into the dance, she suddenly felt herself fly forward as she was shoved from behind, and Darcy pulled her into the line of dancers moving in a circle. Looking back, she saw Percy laughing at her with Darryl doing the same behind him, and she glared in return. Her anger soon dissipated as she began to enjoy the lively dances tremendously.Darryl smiled as he watched the girls. Having their cheerful personalities around has brought light into his life as well as his brother's. "Enjoying yourself?" he heard a sweet, wise voice say behind him.He turned around in surprise and greeted the woman behind him. "Lady Whitelock, since when have you been back?" he asked her."A few days now." She said as she gazed out at the dancers. "I see you have developed a fancy." She said, nodding towards Alex. "A pure-hearted one she is, always kind and very understanding."Darryl frowned at the woman's musings. "She's just someone that I helped get away from dangerous werewolves."Lady Whitelock smiled knowingly, "Oh, she's much more than that."Darryl frowned, "What do you mean?" "I'm sure you've noticed by now." She answered mysteriously."Noticed what exactly?" He askedThe old woman only smiled, watching the dancers before her, one in particular. She wasn't going to reveal more, as usual. "You care about her," she stated after a beat of silence."She's Darcy's best friend, why wouldn't I?" Darryl said as if it was obvious. "But the curse even made sure that I can't have friends because they both have already grown to hate me. I can't care about anyone without suffering the consequences. But at least their both safe." He said bitterly."You're still bothered by the curse?" she asked him."Of course," he stated, "I haven't found a way to break it and I've given up trying a long time ago. You know that."Alex smiled as she moved around the dance floor, and Darcy soon began to pull more people into the dance. Alex soon pulled Percy into the fray for revenge.Lady Whitelock gazed at the girls for a while before answering. "Do not let the curse rule your life, Darryl. It only holds as much power over you as you feed it. You'll be surprised at what you might find if you let go of your burdens. Alex is not an ordinary girl, and she already knows more about you than you think; she always has." Darryl frowned at the cryptic words. "Wha-" he looked around, but Lady Whitelock had disappeared. Before he could search for her, he was yanked by his arm, and he looked around to find a smiling Alex. Before he could leave, she pulled on his arm. Her expression held a hint of wariness. "Come on." She said. "Your brother is already here, and I need a partner for the next one. Please? I really don't want to dance with a stranger."Even though she wasn't overly fond of him, he complied, and she joyously pulled him into the dance, making many surrounding men jealous. Darryl surprisingly enjoyed it more than he had expected. It was something about Alex's presence that made the atmosphere jollier. He could see it in everyone around him.They twirled about the dance floor with Alex being dipped and lifted into the air every now and then. Her eyes were alight with joy, and it filled Darryl with unexpected warmth. She and Darcy exchanged smiles whenever they caught sight of each other. Darryl lifted her into the air once more as the song came to an end, and Alex caught a glimpse of a very familiar face, a face that she did not expect to see here.