Lia of Pirn Hollow Part 2
Based on a personal Dungeons and Dragons character played by the author. Dungeons and Dragons is published by Wizards of the Coast.
Part II
Growing up, Lia had never felt connected with her village. She would protect it, of course, but there isn’t anything special about it. There is no one she cared about deeply, besides her family. Well things with her family are complicated. There hasn’t been anything to pull her to stay; she is half glad-her parents decided to bring her to the rangers.
The streets were the same flatten grass decorated with colourful lanterns, and flowers lining the paths, traditional structures made of stone lined the streets. Dotted in and around special buildings were tree houses, beautifully ornate and well crafted. Rope ladders and wooden stairs interconnected houses. Lia hasn’t been back to the village proper since her parents hosted their yearly winter celebration. Lia is always tasked with procuring the freshest meat, and for the main course a fatty boar, the biggest she can find. Walking along the paths during the warm season was unusual. Yet, as comforting as the flowers were in full bloom, Lia couldn’t help but bend down and pick a few broadhead flowers not found in the forest. The street was bustling with morning activity. Lia, feeling out of sorts in the chaos, started to walk off the main path. After what seemed like a lifetime, Lia reached the threshold of her childhood home. A simple cold stone exterior, Lia’s parents flaunted their money. If one didn’t know better, they would think this was a government building. Not as large and with tree houses attached in the back, it had a slight homey feel.
Taking one last pat down, Lia brushed away any stray dirt or grass. Straightening out her braids and, in a last-minute panic, places one of the picked flowers behind her ear as she knocks on the heavy wooden door. The light rapping on the door produces loud thuds, echoing through the house. A shorter elf with light skin and deep hazel eyes answers the door and looks at Lia’s towering frame taking up most of the door.
“Hi Felder, I’m home”, Lia shrugs at herself, trying to give her best smile.
Felder squints his eyes and replies, “Ah yes, your mother has been expecting your arrival today. Come in.”
Walking in, the house was unexpectedly cold and empty. It is dark inside, with only candles lighting the long hallway. Lia hazards a look along the portraits as she follows Felder. Beautiful oil portraits pop along the plain stone walls, all the elves looking proud towards the viewer. Paintings of her grandparents, parents, and her siblings. All of them with the same detached look. Towards the end of the hall was the only portrait Lia was in, standing towards the back with a daisy in her hair and a look of someone trying to hold in a smile. Lia has many siblings, and finding herself in the middle of all of it, pudgier and more childish than the woman who stands before it now. Lia gets lost looking at the painting. Felder clears his throat, getting her attention. He motions towards the sitting room. As Lia enters, she is drawn towards the window, letting in what seems to be the only natural light in the main house.
“Your mother will be joining you in just a moment.” Felder bows and makes his way out of the room. Lia just stares deeply out of the window, flattening out her armor and running her fingers through her hair, hoping to rid herself of any rogue twigs or dirt. She did bathe today but you can never be sure.
After what seemed like an eternity, Lia heard the footfalls of her mother. Being part of the rangers had Lia very adept at knowing the sounds of each member of her family and can easily track them as they walk through the house. It would be another minute or so before her mother would reach the threshold of the room. When she did, Lia quickly turned around to see the stoic form of her mother, Ilyana. Her beautiful long purple robes piled around her feet, she doesn’t look much older than Lia, but that is elves for you. She had the same piercing green eyes and dark hair, yet her hair was much longer and more well kept with a golden wolf broach at the crown of her head.
“Lia, my darling, say ‘hi’ to your mother.” Ilyana beckons her daughter forward. Lia, with her head tilted down awkwardly makes her way over to give her a hug. It is brief and unfamiliar to Lia. Her mother must be in a good mood.
“Hi. It has been a while. Yet it isn’t quite winter, and I am just curious mother. Why have you sent for me?” Lia furrowed her eyes in concern, thinking the worst. Ilyana laughs; Lia is unsettled by this.
“Right to the point I see. Well sit and I’ll tell you. Oh, and please take that silly flower out of your hair. You look like a street urchin.” Lia ignores her mother’s order but takes a seat on the red velveteen loveseat close to the window. Ilyana takes a seat on the opposing couch, very cautious and gracefully, as to not crinkle her dress too much. Taking a breath, Ilyana speaks out:
“Now normally we would ask your brothers or Felix to act as security, but they are all busy, and, well, this journey will mostly be through untracked forest. Your father and I thought of you, knowing things were quiet around here and you are always antsy to be adventuring. We were wondering if you could accompany your sister to the Bergate Coast. She is set to meet the son of the Lord there.”
Lia takes a moment to take this all in, looking more like she is dividing hard math in her head, with a twisted uncomfortable look. Her mother grows impatient and Lia suddenly hears her sister Ruven’s steps walk towards the staircase that leads down to her mother and her. Before she could give her mother an answer, Iylana reaches out and snatches the flower out of Lia’s hair. Placing it not so delicately on a nearby side table.
“I swear you still sometimes act like a child Lia.” Ilyana shakes her head in disapproval. Before Lia could give her comeback, Ruven steps into the room. She has the same brilliant green eyes as Lia and Ilyana, but with shiny well kept cooper hair, perfectly framing her face. A silver headband with an emerald in its center peeks out from the golden red tresses it rests in.
“Well, has she agreed?” Ruven speaks clearly to her mother, avoiding Lia’s stare.
Lia decides to speak up, “So you mean to get married then?” Lia gives her a serious look. She has seemed to have grown more confident and cockier since Lia had seen her last, standing taller and with an air about her that reminds Lia too much like her mother.
“Well Lia, if you must know, that is the hope… that the two will hit it off and Ruven will be married by the end of the year.” Ruven finally meets Lia’s eyes and clenches her jaw as she nods her head towards Lia.
“Sister, you are looking well; no dirt on your face this time,” her eyes challenging her as siblings do.
“I wish I could say the same about you, but I think there's a spot on your emerald.” Lia points to the middle of her forehead. In a flash of worry, Ruven’s hands fly towards the gem, but gently combs through her hair nonchalantly as she catches Lia’s smirk.
“If you two are finished with that, you best put on your travel clothes, Ruven. Unless you don’t wish to accompany your sister?” Lia takes a long look at Ruven, then back at her feet. It would be nice to get away.
“I’ll accompany her”
Ilyana clasps her hands in satisfaction. “Very well. Ruven, get upstairs and prepare. Lia, you can find rations ready for you both to take on your journey in the Kitchen.” Ilyana waves her off, but Lia approaches with a second question. However, her question becomes answered when the intimidating figure of her father enters the room.
Lorcan was a sturdy man, about the same height as Lia, green skin similar to Lia’s, but less vibrant. His hair was long, held together in a back knot. His hair brown, with copper tips, easily fell to his soldiers, very neat and well maintained. His golden eyes looked at Lia in surprise. Hers held an equally startled look.
“Oh Lia, you’re home. Hi… um… Were we expecting you?” Locran’s eyes drifted to Ilyana’s for confirmation.
“Yes, dear. She was sent to come today so she and Ruven could be off before nightfall.”
Locran nods, remembering now. “Right, right so you’ll be off now?”
Lia lets out the breath she didn’t know she was holding in. “Yes, we’ll be out of your hair, once Ruven has packed up her dresses and back-up dresses. Never know when you’ll happen upon a ball in the woods.” Both Ilyana and Locran don’t play into her sarcasm but awkwardly stand there.
As Lia turns around to head to the kitchen, her mother stops her. “Wait, um… What happened to your bow?” She points to the very plain and simple white long bow slung across Lia’s back.
“Oh-this, um well, you see, w-what happened to the one you gifted me was that it just broke and there wasn’t enough time to get a new one before I came here. This was all they had in the armory.” Lia shrugs but her mother shakes her head in disappointment.
“That won’t do for our daughter. Felder, can you please go to the weaponry and retrieve Lia’s old bow? The one we’ve re-crafted…” Felder bows without a word and runs off to get the bow.
“Re-crafted? What did you do to my old bow? I loved that bow” Ilyana places a hand on Lia’s shoulder.
“We’ve added some gold to its tips and emerald within the grooves. We were going to give it to you as a present for your many years of service to the Rangers. But it seems fitting to give it to you now.” Lia looks a little uneasy. She’s not used to getting gifts from her parents, at least in recent years. Lia retreats to the adjoining kitchen to pack up supplies and wait for her new bow.
Finishing with gathering up food, Lia hears her sister struggle down the stairs. Peaking out of the hallway, Lia sees Ruven struggle to bring down two large duffels and a side bag. Lia rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.
“You can bring the side bag but that is about it.” Ruven looks up to her sister in horror.
“I need all of this. We’ll be gone for over a week, and I need to actually look good, unlike you.”
Lia approaches, face to face with her, slightly taller, “We are not traveling with a cart. No horse could carry all that.”
Ruven lets out a puff, slightly defeated, and asks “Can I at least bring one duffle?” Lia ignores the pout on her face. Before she could answer with another ‘no’, her mother butts in
“I am sure one duffle will be fine Ruven. Felder will happily help you mount it to the horse.” With a smile, Ruven skips out slowly because of the weight with the larger of the two duffels and her side bag. Lia turns her view from the front door to her mother, who is now holding something under a beautiful green velvet cloth.
“For you.” Ilyana reveals a gorgeous and ornate longbow, white with gold tipped ends and, embedded within its engravings, emerald dust. It has a tree in the centre of the grip of the bow, vines and leaves dispersing along the upper and lower limbs on the bow meeting at two ornate flowers at the ends close to the gold tips. Lia’s eyes widened; the carvings were the same. But with the emerald dust, the light reflected so that it reminded Lia of how light filters through the forests’ canopy at mid-day.
Almost at a loss for words, Ilyana speaks up, “I hope you like it. A lot of good work and money was put into it.” Lia nods grateful and goes in to hug her mother, still awkward but a little warmer than the first one. “Now you better not keep your sister waiting.” Nodding, Lia waves goodbye headed towards the front door, taking one last look around for her father and finding only her mother smiling. Looking down towards her feet Lia heads out into the late morning sun, squinting at its brightness. Mounting onto her horse less gracefully than her sister, they make their way out of the town and into the winding paths of Pirn Hollow.
END OF PART 2
Elizabeth Almeida©2021
