"Regarding your son's secondary education, he has a few options lined up. We will, of course, pay for all fees and tuition, as was promised to your husband." Shafir watched as the pristinely dressed man lowered his teacup to the saucer. The clink of it making contact was the only thing out of place. His smile was brighter than the sun, and the way he moved was elegant. His sleeves fluttered like a butterfly as he placed his hand on his lap. A man of fine etiquette, it seemed. One thing Shafir hoped was that he wasn't expected to act like that, as it left a sour taste in his mouth. Thinking about such a thing made his lips purse like he was eating a lemon.
"Yes, my husband wanted to leave the option to Shafir. I am happy to support him in anything he wants to do." Shafir looked up at his mom and noticed how her eyes watered. It hadn't been too long since his father's passing and it was rough on his mom. When the knights came to tell them, his mother broke down crying and all Shafir could do was take the token given to their family for his father's sacrifice.
"I want to be a knight," Shafir said and his mom put a hand on his leg. He knew it was a hard choice for her to accept, but he didn't know a better way to provide for his mother.
"We have other opt-"
"I want to be a knight." The older elf nodded sagely and picked up his teacup to take a sip. Being a knight wouldn't be too bad, as his father taught him the basics, but he would have to learn to get along with the other squires.
"That's great then. My nephew could use a training partner. Do you know how to shoot a bow?" At the time his father died, he was waiting to be taught. Shafir wanted to be decent at the sword and have lots of muscle before diving head-deep into archery. His skill with a bow was lackluster, and he hated holding it, as it felt uncomfortable compared to the sword.
"I can't shoot well," Shafir said and looked down at the teacup in front of him. He watched as the liquid sat still like a pond and he could see how disappointed he looked with himself in its reflection.
"That's a shame truly, the young master should have a close confidant. Though, I guess we can get an archery tutor. Of course, free." He sounded disappointed, and it added to the weight Shafir felt. To think he wasn't even able to do something that was so simple. If he had more time with his father to train, would he have been able to shoot just as well as him?
"About arrangements for housing…" Shafir's mother spoke, and the conversation carried on without him. The only reason the head of the house was even doing this for them was because of his father. He wondered if he could get a position that could allow them to live comfortably without feeling like he owed the House of Honors anything. He wanted to make it on his own, but he would need a helpful push.
~o~o~O~o~o~
The maidservant walked beside Shafir's mother as he followed behind the two women. The talk had gone well from what he could tell, and his mother even got a job. She said she couldn't let the house take care of all their needs and wanted to at least work for the benefits. Shafir knew his mother was never one to take help from others and it seemed it was still true, even after his father's passing.
"Good Day, my lady," The maidservant had stopped abruptly bowing and so did Shafir's mother. He hadn't noticed them come to a stop and accidentally walked into his mother. There was a laugh from someone in front of them, and Shafir poked his head around his mother's form.
Sitting in a wheelchair was a beautiful lady. Her bright eyes sparkled as she laughed. Someone tied her hair neatly up in an intricately braided bun and her clothes were simple house robes. Her stomach was enormous and swollen. She reminded him of the happily pregnant aunties from his hometown. Behind her stood a beanpole of a man. He looked drained and sucked dry of all energy. How he pushed the woman was beyond Shafir.
"I see we have some new guests. It is a pleasure to meet the young son of Highgar." She waved kindly to Shafir, and he returned the wave. The maidservant returned to standing tall and Shafir's mother ushered him to stand in front of her. "I hope you get along with my son. He was excited to hear that there would be another around his age that are not his sisters, that is." She chuckled once more and Shafir nodded.
"Mother. I have-" A young boy, slightly older than Shafir, but a spitting image of the woman in the wheelchair came out of nowhere. Though when he thought about it, perhaps he came from one of the doors to the side of his mother and father. The young master, Shafir assumed, had long blonde hair that was braided into a ponytail. His eyes stopped on his mother and then worked his way to Shafir. He must have noticed he had interrupted his mother's conversation. He turned his head down and spoke, "I apologize, mother. I had not realized-"
"It is alright my darling. I was just talking about you." The boy that she had said seemed so excited about Shafir, didn't even look a bit phased. When he looked back up at Shafir, there was an icy indifference in his blue eyes. He turned back to his mother, and she reached out to rub the top of his head. His bangs were rustled and made him seem less proper. Like this, he looked like a normal boy being doted on by his mother. "Eliqinor, did you come to tell me you have finished your lessons?"
"Yes, mother." His calloused hands patted down his hair, trying to wrangle in the mess. Shafir watched as he blushed in embarrassment at the loving nature of his mother, and the young dark elf had to stifle a snicker. The young high elf did not miss this, and he turned his eyes to Shafir.
"Enough of that now. Hurry along!" Eliqinor's mother shooed her son off with her hand and he bowed. It didn't take long for him to walk off and Shafir had the urge to mock the prim and proper way he walked. "I apologize on his behalf. His insistent father has stressed him very much, trying to get him to choose to become a scholar like himself."
Shafir's mother nodded and waved. "It is no issue. Children get like that sometimes. This is a crucial time for them." The woman nodded and her husband whispered into her ear.
"Ah. I must go, but it was so nice to see you again, dear." The pregnant woman nodded her head and Shafir's mother did the same. They seemed like two best friends who hadn't seen each other in forever. It seemed she would be happy living here and she wouldn't be entirely alone when he was gone.
~o~o~O~o~o~
Shafir notched the arrow on his bow and carefully aimed at the target. His arms were still getting used to pulling the string back. It tipped up slightly and he repositioned. He always had trouble pulling it, but he hadn't brought it to his instructor's attention. He HAD to get better at it before it was time to take the squire's exam. If he failed, he would have to wait a few more years before trying again. Everyone told him it would be fine as his training still required some work and that most, with his lack of education, didn't always pass the first time.
He let the arrow fly, and it whizzed through the air only to fall short of the target and land in the courtyard's grass. Shafir still couldn't tell what he was doing wrong. First, it was he was gripping the bow too tight. Then it was because he dropped his elbow and didn't anchor properly. It just felt like this was getting him nowhere.
Shafir walked down the length of the archery yard and bent down to grab the arrow. When he stood back up, he was surprised by what he saw. It was the young master and his two sisters walking along the hall. The blonde boy paid Shafir little mind while the girls stared at him oddly. Shafir couldn't hear them behind the glass, but they grabbed their brother by the sleeve of his clothes and pointed at Shafir in the window.
That was more embarrassing than anything and so he ducked back away from the window. No sooner did his feet hit the archery line the door behind him opened. Standing with the door open and two curious girls peeking out from behind him.
"Esta and Elmyra. Do you want to watch him practice?" Eliqinor did not ask Shafir's opinion about being watched. The girls nodded energetically, and Eliqinor seemed pleased with their quick reply. He hustled the two little ones into the viewing section, usually reserved for the instructor, and closed the door behind him. Shafir felt more nervous knowing that the young master, everyone seemed to revere in all his skill with a bow, was watching him.
Shafir notched the arrow on his bow, and the blonde clicked his tongue. As if Shafir didn't have enough worries with the way he shot. He finally let go of the arrow and it whizzed through the air once more and landed short of the target. Before he retrieved the arrow, the bow was snatched out of his hands. The blonde had moved at such a quiet and alarming speed that Shafir hadn't even heard him. With the way he was, the young master could make a skilled assassin.
He watched as the high elf held the bow this way and that way. The way he inspected it was almost meticulous as if he was looking for a defect. When that proved to give him no clue, he pulled the string. That's when his eyes lit up as if he discovered a truly amazing sight.
"Your bow. Get rid of it," The young master said matter-of-factly. It made Shafir angry. How could he get rid of this bow? It was one of the many things Shafir's father had left to him, and he had hoped he was lucky enough to gain some kind of wisdom from using it. Shafir also wanted to feel closer to his father, knowing he too once used it.
"I don't think I will," Shafir said and snatched the bow back. If he knew what the problem was, he could tell his instructor, and perhaps he could fix it for him. "Though, may I ask what's wrong with it?" Shafir saw the young master's shoulders slump with a sigh before looking at his sisters and then back at Shafir.
"It's old, but that's not the biggest issue. Its draw weight is too heavy. You can end up using it later on when you have more muscle, but right now you are nowhere capable of using a bow of that strength." Shafir looked at the bow in his hands. He knew something always predisposed dark elves to have less muscle, so they had to work harder to build it. Though he didn't realize it was going to be that hard to draw a bow because of his lack of strength. At least the kind that was required to pull the string back.
"I can't believe the instructor let him use that bow." One of the little ones whispered to the other. Her high pigtails set her apart from the other who had low pigtails. The sister nodded and whispered back.
"Instructor was probably worried that Eliqinor would be distracted by-" The young master, Eliqinor, now that it was brought back up realized he hadn't memorized the name, and slammed his hand on the rack that held the bows. It made the two twins hush up, and he looked at Shafir.
"I apologize for their insolent comments. We will take our leave now!" The girls hopped up from the seats and shuffled their way to the door. Eliqinor's face was red with rage, from as far as Shafir could tell. The three forced their way through the door and it slammed shut behind them.
That was the last time Shafir had seen the young master, as he would soon find out. Sometimes, avoiding someone after something so embarrassing was better than confronting them.
