Saga of Daie d'Malkin 7- Soar

Daie watched with wonder, as Maron soared through the air, twisting and turning like a bird, as she rode the currents and winds. Her wings flashed blue in the clear midday sun, and with the sunlight playing around her figure, she looked angelic.
Her form descended, dropping to the ground, plunging towards the hard soil. For a moment, he thought something had happened to her, but a few feet from the ground, she changed direction, and flew straight at him, knocking him to the ground as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Flying always makes you happy” he commented, once his breath had returned.
She grinned at him “I can’t help it. The feeling is so fantastic. It’s the ultimate freedom.”
“I wish I could experience it with you” he replied.
She gazed at him piteously, then frowned slightly. “Perhaps you can. My people have spells to use when visited by beings that cannot fly. I’ll pray for one tomorrow morning.. Perhaps Lady Firehair will grant me your company when I fly tomorrow.”
“I hope so.” Daie said, fervently.
True to her word, she prayed to the Goddess of Love for the spell the next day. Sune must have taken pity on her avariel servant, for she granted the cleric the spell to let her friend fly alongside her.
Maron took nearly twenty minutes to prepare the spell. Finally, she stepped up to Daie, standing close to him, reached over his shoulders, and laid her hands on the backs of his shoulder blades.
She chanted for a moment or two, then kissed him on the mouth and stepped back. He darted a questioning look at her.
“It’s a necessary part of most spells from Sune. She demands that we kiss, or hug someone when we use our spells on them.”
“Fair enough.”
He started to say that nothing was happening, when he began to feel something strange on his back. It felt like his back was growing. He heard the sound of ripping cloth, and felt his tunic tighten momentarily.
He spun round, trying to look at his back.
It crossed Maron’s mind that he looked like a puppy chasing it’s tail, but she gasped as she saw what he was attempting to find. Two feathered wings were growing from his shoulders. Great white wings, larger than hers, and they shone like the sun.
Daie gasped too, as they grew to the size where he could now see them looking round. They stopped growing when they reached a size that would lift him from the ground.
“Can you feel them?” Maron asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
“Yes.” He replied, his voice equally quiet.
“Oh Daie, you’re avariel!” she cried happily, hugging him.
He tried moving them, and suddenly, they flashed out, stretching as far as they would go. The blaze of light reflecting from the wings dazzled Maron, and attracted the attention of several others who were eating nearby.
Raven and Minstra got up, and walked over.
“What have you done to him?” Raven asked.
Maron was shocked. What was she trying to insinuate with that tone? She hadn’t done much, just gifted him a pair of wings. She hadn’t hurt him or damaged him in any way.
“She’s given me a pair of wings.” Daie answered.
“Stating the obvious, eh Daie?” Minstra asked, hands on her hips, head cocked to one side. “You know, messing with your natural state like that isn’t entirely safe.”
“Indeed. I don’t like it. You were not born avariel, and shouldn’t attempt to become one.” Raven stated.
“I just wanted to fly with Maron.” He protested.
“Are you so unhappy with walking with us that you must use magic to escape?” she asked.
“That’s unfair! I’m not trying to escape, I just want to experience flying. Is that so wrong?”
“Yes. I would rather you stayed on the ground.”
“Why do you desire my company so much?” Daie asked.
“Yes, why?” Minstra echoed, narrowing her eyes. Was her guess right? Did Raven enjoy his company more than that of a friend?
Raven spluttered for a moment. “That’s not important. What is important, is that you are playing with nature. That’s dangerous, right Minstra?”
“Well, I’m not…Maron, how long does the spell last?”
“Three hours.”
“Have you seen it cast before?”
“Yes, several times, at home.”
“Did you cast it as directed?”
“Yes, as Sune instructed me to do so.”
Minstra turned to Raven “It should be safe then. Maron would have had to pray specifically for this spell, and if the Goddess of Love granted her it, then she must approve of the plan.” There! That flash in her eyes when I mentioned Sune’s approval. She’s jealous. She does have feelings for Daie! Minstra thought.
Raven sighed. “Fine, fly then. Just…be careful Daie. Come back safe, alright?”
He was surprised by the combination of fear and tenderness in her voice, but he nodded firmly, and turned to Maron.
“Shall we?” he asked.
She smiled, and they both leapt into the air.
Raven and Minstra both watched them go.
“Are you going to tell him?” Minstra questioned.
“Tell him what?” Raven replied, absently.
“That you love him.”
“WHAT?!”
“Is it not true?”
“It. I.” Raven seemed to sink into herself. “Yes, it is true. How many people know?”
“I believe I am the only one.”
“No, Maron knows, too. Does he know?”
“I would not think so, judging from his responses. Do not worry, if he is anything like his father, he will not notice unless you kiss him.”
“I have. Twice.”
“And still he does not act? Perhaps his wits are duller than I had thought.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t care for me.”
“Perhaps.” Minstra nodded.
They watched the two younger elves fly through the air for a moment more. Then Minstra began to speak again.
“I do not think you need to worry about Maron.”
Raven half turned “I do not.”
“You cannot lie to me, Raven. You are jealous of their closeness.”
“Shouldn’t I be? They spend much time together.”
“They are friends, Raven. You realise that we spend more time together than they do.”
“That’s different…”
“How?”
“You are right. It is not. Yet, if the Goddess of Love approves of them spending time together, what should I believe there? ”
“Perhaps Sune knows that her servant is lonely.”
“Lonely? Why is she lonely? She never used to be lonely?”
“She was. Have you not noticed? We are her only friends here, and even we do not share things with her that we share with each other. She had no-one like that, until Daie arrived. Have you not seen them at night, whispering to each other, and laughing? Those two are each other’s best friends.”
“I understand.”
“I would offer one piece of advice if I may. If you intend to act on your desires, do it soon. Wait too long and he may find someone else.” She walked away.
Raven stood for a while, pondering her words.

Daie was ecstatic. He flew through clouds, over flights of birds, and skimmed the tops of trees. He understood now why the avariel pitied other elves so much. Still, it was tiring: he lacked the hollow bones that were as much a part of Maron’s race as her wings, and consequently he didn’t have as much stamina or speed in the air. Looking up, he saw Maron descend to him, banked over him before settling just out of reach to his right.
“I’m going down.” He said.
“What, already?”
“Maron, we’ve been up the best part of an hour, and I’m tiring. I’ll get some food and a rest, and then come back up.”
She nodded, and he flew back down to the campsite, and landed, hitting the ground a little harder than he had intended to.
He folded his wings behind himself, and walked over to where a few of the mercenaries were cooking. He smiled at the attractive human woman ladling out the food, and was given twice as much as anyone else.
He took his food, and sat next to Raven, who was eating nearby, alone, unusually.
She gave him a smile as he sat next to her, and shifted almost imperceptibly closer.
“You are back soon. How was it?”
“It was great, but so tiring. How are you?”
“I’m good. We’re going to see a man in Saradush later, about a possible job.” She paused for a moment “Would you come?”
“Would you like me to?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll come.”
“Thank you.”
“When are we leaving?” Daie asked, suddenly, wondering if they would be going before or after the spell had ended.
“In an hour. It’s about an hour’s walk to Saradush.”
“Walk? Won’t we ride?”
“We have nothing to ride. No lizards.”
He laughed. “Lizards?”
“Riding lizards.” She replied, confused “Have you never seen them?”
“Raven, on the surface we ride horses.”
“Ah. Well, we have no horses either.”
“Perhaps I should get one.”
“If you so desire.”

Daie realised that his food was getting cold. He tucked into it with relish, the hot stew not even touching the sides. He glanced over at Raven, and was astonished to see three empty bowls next to her.
“Are they all yours?” he asked.
“Yes” she calmly replied, carefully finishing off the fourth bowl. “Why, is something wrong? I usually eat this much.”
He wondered how she maintained her perfect figure.
“’Quel andune.” Minstra greeted them as she walked over holding two bowls. She handed one to Raven, who promptly tore into it, and then sat down.
Raven finished her fifth bowl of food before Minstra had had her first mouthful swallowed.
“I know. I don’t understand either. She must have an amazingly fast metabolism.”
“Enough about my eating habits” snapped Raven “Minstra, Daie is going to come with us to Saradush.”
“Indeed.” She glanced at Daie curiously, a twinkle in her eye. “I wanted to talk to you about that. I am afraid I cannot go. I have pressing matters to attend to here.”
“Can you not postpone them?”
“I am afraid not.”
“Then we shall have to go tomorrow.”
”No, no, you two go. I am sure Daie will provide an ample substitute.” She rushed her words, afraid that Raven really would wait til the next day.
“Well, Daie, shall we go?” Raven asked.
Daie’s mind raced. An hour’s walk there. Say an hour to complete the business, and then the return journey. Three hours alone with Raven.
“Yes, we shall.”

Raven smiled gladly, and moved away to return her empty bowls, and Minstra grabbed Daie by the lapels, and pulled him up to her face. She whispered in his ear, furiously.
“You owe me one. Take her to a nice tavern, an expensive one in the noble’s district. Buy her elverquisst, she’s taken a liking to it. If you return before nightfall, I will personally beat you. Understood?”
Daie nodded timidly. She smiled again. “Enjoy your first date.”