Below the Peak (Sola)(84)

Calemir grunted. Something past between them and stayed. Call it a connection, an affinity as walls of mistrust for each other crumbled. He stepped back from the table, their shoulders brushing as she moved to sit. Emotions bubbled her blood, causing her chest to tighten as she stared at the quill and ink bottle. Ingrid and her parent's faces swam in her vision. Nara had missed them so much like she has never done before, that it made her heart ache. A day hadn’t gone by without thinking of them. Some nights she couldn’t sleep because of worry and fear what the king might have done to them. Couples of weeks early, she’d planned to ask him if it were possible to send a sort of word back to inquire about her family but the prince’s severe absence made it impossible and when he was around she had forgotten.

One, two, three… she counted in her head, tempering her emotions to an aching hollow sensation. With a dull hammering pulse, Nara picked up the quill, dipped in ink and dragged it onto the sheet waiting to be filled by words.

Hello,

It is I your daughter and sister Nara. I know you are all worried of what has become of me. However, I write this to put your fears and worries to rest and assure you that I am well.

How are you, papa?

How are you mama and the baby?

How are you, Ingrid?

Sincerely,

Nara.

She clamped her jaw as she lowered the quill beside the letter, her fingers twitching. She wanted to write so much that she couldn’t. Too overwhelmed, it crippled her mind. So, she said and asked the most important question that relayed everything and could be answered in many ways. Fisting her right hand to hide the twitching, she looked at him. “When will you send it?”

“Soon” he replied. “What are-” she began as he grabbed the quill, dipped the tip into the ink and started writing. “I am not sure they can read Nyr, they might get confused. Hence I’m writing instruction in elvish that this letter should be read and delivered to your parents only” he explained as his left hand moved fluidly under where she had written and imprinted the words on the scroll.

“Alright.”

Nara keenly watched as he rolled the sheet once he finished writing his own orders. He took a small red ribbon and knotted it tight over the rolled scroll. Her gaze remained glued to Calemir as he went to stand at the window which he opened. Her eyes narrowed when he began to hum a tune.

Calemir paused then hummed again.

Nara was about to ask him why he was humming when a black bird landed on the window sill. Looking at closely, her eyes widened when it’s silky folded wings extended out from its body. It was no bird in spite having a head of a bird and wings. Below its beak was a thin mouth, its white neck was long and thin like of a human, its chest instead of smooth short spotty feathers, it had shaped like the breast of a man and feet scaly with long claws.

“What is that creature?” she asked, unable to remove her gaze from its abnormal body. It glanced her way, its large brown eyes seeming to accuse her of staring. Nara focused on Calemir.

“They are called Pereye,” he said, one hand digging into his trouser pocket.

“I have never seen them around” she admitted, standing and strolling to him. The creature cocked its head to her when she stood next to Calemir.

“They are hardly seen because they live inside trees. If you were to climb to the top of a tree, you’d find a hole. That’s their door to their homes” he removed his hand from the pocket. Two cubes of sugar rested on his palm. “another reason is that they are for the most part nocturnal creatures, they hunt at night but do fly during the day if needed or asked nicely” Calemir extended his palm to the Pereye. “they also have a serious sweet tooth. Quite literary as you can see.”

Yes, she could see that. The thing hammered down on the cubes in smaller pieces with its beak, before gulping down on its precious treats in seconds. It lifted its head toward the prince’s face as if waiting for instruction. Nara watched in fascination as Calemir gave spoke in elvish to the Pereye, and the Pereye nodded then extended its claw feet from the window sill. Calemir pressed the letter on its leg then tied it there with another ribbon. The bird-like human turned, its back to them, its wings spread wide before diving into the night.





Chapter Forty


Days went extremely slow as she anxiously waited for a respond from her family. A day turned into two, three to four and into a week. She began to have all types of thoughts when a whole week went without a word. How fast was the creature? Perhaps the creature lost the letter? Maybe it had been injured or worse, killed? She exhaled, clearing her thoughts. She should be grateful she was even able to send word to them. Picking up the hair brush, she worked on combing her hair.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in.” she watched the door open through the mirror as she combed her hair.

Calemir stepped in.

“I have your letter,” he said, hand reaching in one of the pockets of the maroon militaristic coat he adorned and retrieving a rolled paper sheet. A feeling more than relief spread over her, leaving her knees a little week as she stared at his hand. Nerves chewing a hole in her stomach, Nara rose from the chair and walked toward him, managing to hide her anxiousness. The hem of her skirt swooshed silently around her feet.

“Thank you,” she said as she took it from his hand. Nara carefully broke the cheap wax seal which bore no engraving of the sort and unrolled the letter. Pulse thrumming in her ears, she read the letter.