Lalauri Imafenduwell

The Old Aureate Wing

Imafenduwell Hall

 

To Lalauri’s surprise, the next day she found Keridwen helping the nulliwumps clean up Junction Point. Apparently, she had spoken to Cecil before she had gone to bed and told him she wanted to help with the mess.

Good. Better than me having to force her to cleaning up her own mess…not that I should even have to force her to show some responsibility for her own actions…

At first, Lalauri assumed the girl would be out of her hair for the whole day, giving her…a much needed day of space from her. It was only later on that she realized that this was far from the case.

When she went to grab breakfast from the kitchen later on, Lalauri was confused when she found it was in a complete mess of its own. There was flour everywhere and a mess of dirty pots and pans here and there across the counters and on the island in the middle of the room. Or at least, Lalauri was surprised until she saw who was cooking away at the aether-gas stove wearing a chef’s hat and an apron. Covered in a proper layer of flour herself, Keridwen looked at Lalauri while trying to flip pancakes on the stove with a nervous smile on her face.

“H…Hi, Lalauri.” Keridwen said, timidly.

“What…in the world…are you doing?!” Lalauri seethed at her.

“I’m…I’m making you pancakes.” Keridwen lifted the pan she was using off of the stove to better show her the stack of mostly burnt pancakes she had managed to cook up. “See? Cecil said that you love pancakes…”

“Did he now? And you thought you would just try to make them all on your own? Without supervision? Without instruction? Without permission?! Without any sort of guidance that might keep you from making an even bigger mess than the one you already made last night?!”

The tension between Lalauri and Keridwen was palpable, causing the latter’s shoulders to drop in defeat. She fumbled with the pan, and before she knew it, the burnt pancakes were all over the cluttered floor. “…Please don’t be mad at me,” Keridwen pleaded. “I’m just trying to help you…I just don’t want you to hate me anymore…”

With a deep sigh, Lalauri glared at the little girl.

This would not be the last day that something like this would happen, either.

Over the next few days, Keridwen’s campaign to get into Lalauri’s good graces again continued to get more and more elaborate. One attempt involved Keridwen trying to convince Lalauri to let her clean her “new” necklace. Now that she had found the dwarven necklace, Lalauri refused to part with it, especially not to Keridwen.

Then, at one point, Keridwen tried to write an apology letter to Lalauri for all the times she had used magic when she wasn’t supposed to—or at least that’s what she believed it to be about. It was hard to tell, given that her penmanship was atrocious.

Finally—despite her initial reluctance—Lalauri eventually recognized that Keridwen was making a real effort to bridge the gap between them.

She’s trying her best, Lalauri…the least you can do is try to get along with her, too. If the eight-year-old can do it, so can you.

A few days later, the means by which she would try to bond with the child came to her in the form of a letter.

 

*

 

“WHOA!” Keridwen exclaimed, when she followed Lalauri out the front door. “What is that?!”

“Why don’t you ask the nice lady here what it is, Keridwen?” said Lalauri absentmindedly as she looked over the day’s mail. “Perhaps if you ask nicely, she’ll tell you what the creature is.”

Every morning, the mail was delivered by the mailman, or woman, assigned to their house that day. She always recognized the mail carrier by their overalls and hat, which both had the words “Tesardess Parcel Company” on them. All of that was normal. What Keridwen had rightly pointed out as noteworthy, however, was the steed on which today’s mail-woman was riding.

The creature was a strange hybrid of a tabby cat and a caterpillar; it had the head, face and whiskers of a regular tabby, but its long, fur-covered body was that of a caterpillar. Instead of caterpillar legs, the creature had dozens of cat paws instead. The creature’s body coiled tightly around the tree, resembling a caterpillar curling around a twig. Its furry rump was adorned with a charming little nub instead of a typical cat’s tail. The creature looked over at them from the tree with cat eyes the size of Lalauri’s head and let loose a great big meow towards them. She suspected that if the beast were to stand on its hindmost legs and straighten its body up into the air, it would reach at least fifteen feet tall. There were parcels of all shapes and sizes strapped to its body, as well as a bag or two containing what Lalauri suspected were letters for other people.

“It’s called a feline caterpillar. Also known as a catworm!” said the mail-woman. “I ride him around and he helps me deliver the different parcels and letters I have strapped to him.”

“What’s his name?!” Keridwen squealed.

“His name is Mr. Wigglemittens.” The lady turned to the feline caterpillar and said, “Come here, mister!”

The beast unwrapped itself from the tree trunk and its stubby feet began carrying it over to them, its eyes locked on its human. When Mr. Wigglemittens reached the mail-woman, it purred with such an intensity that the ground at Lalauri’s feet actually shook a little. The creature then began brushing against all of them as it purred. And as it did, Lalauri soon noticed that a grin had worked its way onto her face at some point.

“What’s this about then?” Lalauri showed the mail-woman one letter she had received. “Something about a…’pen-pal’ program?”

“Yes! It’s a wonderful program geared towards the youth mostly—although some exceptions are made for older folk—where kids from across Tesardess can write to each other and make friends from all over! It’s meant to foster community amongst the peoples—including Octavia and The Jördlands.”

“Is that so?”

“Can I join, Lalauri?” Keridwen was hopping up and down, as she clung to the feline caterpillar’s neck. To the creature’s credit, though, it didn’t seem bothered at all by it. “Can I have my own pen-pal?”

“I will think about it. But I’m not giving you any promises.” With that, Lalauri tucked the sign-up sheet for the program in her dress pocket.

“And can I get my own catworm?”

“Absolutely not.”

Then Lalauri focused on another letter. One with postage stamps marking it as having come from a province of the Jördlands known as Trolldom. Instantly, she assumed who it must have been from, and with a new sense of excitement, she opened and read the letter:

Lalauri,

By the time you read this letter, my latest journey should be officially over, as I am currently delivering the prized trophy of my quest to the troll chieftain who commissioned it. Once done, I will head home and begin making my way for The Jördlands Wing.

In a way I can’t fully explain, I’ve been feeling that I should come by and make sure everything is alright. That being said, I hope everything is alright and well in your home. Assuming all goes according to plan, I should be there by August 31st.

I will see you soon, my dear.

With love,

Grannie.

With this news that her beloved grandmother coming for a visit soon, Lalauri had an idea. If Keridwen wanted to be helpful with the ins and outs of the Hall, perhaps it would be best to have her come along to the market with her. Together, they could gather up the items they would need for Grannie’s arrival. Plus, this way, Lalauri could monitor the little girl personally and make sure she wasn’t getting into any trouble.

 

*

 

“No, not that way, Keridwen. Stay close to me, please.” Said Lalauri. Keridwen took Lalauri’s hand, and they left the crowded streets behind in favour of the Sky Lanes, a more serene and beautiful part of the city.

The Sky Lanes were a network of large roads and walking paths, strictly for pedestrians, that rose to the heights of the buildings above. Despite Lalauri’s preference for the simple design of the cobblestone roads, she found the lanes made of brass and crystal to be a magnificent and otherworldly sight, with their intricate designs and colours that danced in the sunlight. On first glance, one might think that this would create an uncomfortable glare that would make it impossible to see while walking on the lanes. However, by some impressive feat of engineering—or perhaps even magic—the glass only ever reflected a soft glow rather than the full power of the sun.

“Whoa!” said Keridwen when they ascended to the top of their chosen sky lane. “You can see the whole world from up here, Lalauri!”

Lalauri chuckled at that. “Yes, just about. You see that square over there? Just in front of that massive clock tower? That’s where we’re headed. That’s the market where I usually go to buy things.”

When the two actually made it to the market, it was very much in a busy state—much to Lalauri’s disliking. However, preparations had to be made, so she knew she would have to do her best to forgo the uneasy feeling that this brought out in her for the time being. What she found interesting, though, is that she was not the only one who seemed uneasy at the size of the crowds. Lalauri kept a close eye on Keridwen as they wandered through the market, observing how she hesitantly pawed at the fresh fruits on display. Keridwen reminded Lalauri of a nervous mouse trying to avoid being trampled underfoot as she hurried out of the way of anyone who looked her way.

And so, Lalauri reached out to extend her hand once again, to which the little girl readily accepted.

“Not a fan of crowds, Little One?” Lalauri asked. And when Keridwen simply shook her head, she said, “Yes, well…me neither. We won’t be here long, though.”

After purchasing food supplies at the market, they went to some nearby shops to see if they could find anything that her grandmother might need or want on her return.

They entered the shop filled with various antique pieces, and Lalauri’s fingers eagerly traced the intricate details of each item, searching for something nice for Grannie’s home. She also grabbed a few things that she thought would look nice in Mindara’s guest room.

That was when she spotted the dress.

Among the other children’s clothes, there was an adorable cream dress with a faded print of golden etchings and a glittery finish.

After checking the size, looking back and forth between Keridwen and the dress, and then thinking it over for a moment, Lalauri finally said, “Keridwen, come here, please.”

“Coming.” When Keridwen reached her, she stopped in her tracks and she gasped at the sight of the dress. “Whoa…the sparkles…”

“Would you like to try it on?”

Keridwen nodded her head with a great big smile on her face.

There was a dressing area in the shop and a shop employee nearby that was there to help them with a room for Keridwen to try on the dress. Lalauri waited outside of the room by the mirrors and when Keridwen came out with the dress on, she watched as the little girl twirled around in the dress. Around and around she spun, and up and down Keridwen bounced, gleefully drinking in the way the light danced on the sparkles.

“I love it, I love it, I love it!” Keridwen said, clapping her hands. “Can we buy it, Lalauri? Please? I promise I cause anymore trouble if you buy it for me!”

Big promise, Lalauri thought to herself skeptically.

On one hand, the idea of buying Keridwen something nice like this just after she trashed a large part of her home didn’t really thrill Lalauri in the slightest. However, most of her clothes were either covered in dirt stains from playing around with Thumper, or else too casual for special events. And although a visit from Grannie might not be formal, Lalauri would have liked to have Keridwen dressed nicely for the occasion.

“Alright. I’ll buy it for you.” Said Lalauri.

Keridwen giggled and clapped her hands fanatically at this announcement, surprising Lalauri with how excited she was over this adorable, yet fairly modest, dress. Once Keridwen changed back to her regular clothes, Lalauri added the dress to the other things she was going to buy.

It was at that point that they bumped into someone unexpected.

Upon reaching for a box containing a new radio on one of the store’s top shelves, Lalauri found her hand bumping into the hand of another elf. The youthful elf’s skin was blue like any other frost elf, but his fine clothing of gold and white made it clear that he was a man belonging to the City of Aureate. His long, pointed ears poked through his long brown hair, and his smile was warm and inviting.

“Well, look who it is.” Said the elf. “You know, I can’t even remember the last time I saw you out of your Hall. How have you been, Lalauri?”

“Hello, Thraillden.” Said Lalauri. “I’ve been doing well. And it has not been quite that long.”

“Lalauri, we live in the same city and yet the last time I saw you was on my eighty-third birthday.”

“Yes?”

“I’m ninety-five now.”

“Ah. I see…I’m sorry, Thraillden. I should have reached out at some point.”

Rather than respond to that, Thraillden looked down at little Keridwen, who was at this point hiding behind her legs. “And who is this with you? Is she…is she yours?”

“Would that be so hard to believe? That I would have a child?”

“Yes.” He said frankly. “Now what’s your name, Little One?”

Rather than answer, Keridwen looked up at Lalauri questioningly.

“It’s alright,” Lalauri said. “He’s not going to hurt you. Go ahead and introduce yourself.”

“…My name is Keridwen…”

“Keridwen? Well, hello there, Keridwen. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Thraillden.” Thraillden knelt down and offered her a handshake. Keridwen nervously shook his hand, and he then said to Lalauri, “Have you seen the new statues? They just put them up the other day.”

“New statues? What do you mean?”

“Well, if you’re done shopping here, I’ll show you. They’re just down the road. My wife actually went ahead of me to see them.”

“Wife? You’re married now?”

When they arrived at the spot that Thraillden was talking about, Lalauri’s jaw dropped at the sight of the statues; the location was the intersection of several streets. A small crowd had gathered around a large dais upon which several smiling golden statues stood. All of them were larger than life and they gleamed in the mid-day sunlight. And much to Lalauri’s horror, one of said statues looked all too recognizable.

“Lalauri?” said Keridwen, pointing up at the statues. “Why is there a statue of you?”

Before she could even answer, though, a man wearing a tweed suit had appeared standing in front of the statues and began addressing the crowd of applauding people that had come to see the unveiling of the statues.

“…and so,” said the man, continuing off whatever he was saying beforehand. “It is with great pride we are placing these statues here today! Statues to celebrate the lives of the Alliance of Usurpers who answered the White Faun’s call to arms against the High Faeries during the end of the Seelie Age, over five hundred years ago.”

Among the statues were two that stood at the forefront; one was of a warrior whose hair was as golden as Lalauri remembered it being in real life. He wore armour that bore the imagery of bears on several parts of it. On his face was a warm and welcoming smile, and in his hands he held a war-hammer. The man’s name was Charlemagne, The Golden Bear. He was the Mogorian leader of the great Alliance of Usurpers, and the last High King of Tesardess. And standing next to his statue was another that looked all too familiar.

“Lalauri, that’s you!” Keridwen exclaimed, looking up at the statue. “Why are you up there?”

“Shh!” Lalauri hissed at her, rushing to pull up her cloak’s hood to cover her face. “Be quiet! Do not make a scene, Little One.”

Thankfully, Keridwen didn’t argue. Instead, she shrunk a little and stepped backward at the sound of Lalauri snapping at her, which admittedly made Lalauri feel a little guilty.

“I’m sorry,” Lalauri went on. “It’s just…I’d rather not have the attention, alright? Come on…we have what we need. Let’s just go home.”

But just as they were about to leave, Thraillden caught Lalauri’s arm and said, “Hey, wait a minute. Where are you going? You haven’t even met my wife yet.”

“Right…I’m sorry, Thraillden…”

A Quintessi woman, whose body was a curious combination of human and pink axolotl, stood beside the councillor. She had large, friendly eyes and a smile to match. She wore a modest dress and held out her hand for Lalauri to shake. “Hiya. My name is Lana. Thraillden’s told me a lot about you, Lalauri. It’s an honour to finally get to meet you.”

“Oh—well, it’s nice to meet you, Lana.”

After exchanging pleasantries, they asked Lalauri and Keridwen to join them for lunch, but Lalauri declined with a polite refusal. She then quickly whooshed Keridwen back the way they came to get away from the crowd and back toward home.

Lalauri looked back once, feeling a twinge of guilt at the puzzled and hurt expressions on the couple’s faces as they watched her leave.

“Why did we leave?” Keridwen asked once they were out of earshot. “They wanted us to come over for lunch. I’m hungry. I’ve never had a scone before.”

“Keridwen, we have scones at home.”

“I thought they were your friends, though?”

“Thraillden is my…friend, yes. But I’m not interested in spending more time out of the house than absolutely necessary right now.”

And by “right now”, Lalauri had really meant never. While it was true that she considered Thraillden a friend, it had long since been a practice of hers to keep the few friends she had at arm’s length. It was simpler that way.

“Besides,” Lalauri went on, leading them back up onto the sky lanes. “My home is my sanctuary. It’s where I go to relax and to get away from people. And Thraillden is not that different from me, really. I’m sure he feels the same way about his own home. That being said, he was probably just being polite. Yes. That’s all it was. So there’s no need to worry about it.”

She hadn’t really been expecting a response from Keridwen, and yet the moments of silence from Keridwen that followed struck her as odd.

But when Keridwen did pipe up again, she said, “Back home—back in Khar Vell…before it all went bad…my mom used to say that whenever I told her that my stuffed animal was having a problem and that it didn’t like something that I was just giving it my own problems. She said it was called…projecting…is that what you’re doing? Are you projecting your problems onto your friend?”

Lalauri’s sudden stop on the sky lane caused a commotion among the traffic, with people walking around them with expressions of irritation and disbelief. As she turned to look down at the eight-year-old who had captured their attention, Lalauri’s face lit up with the same emotions.

“Listen here, little miss,” Lalauri hissed at her as she loomed over the girl. “I am not projecting anything onto anyone, and I don’t have a problem!” With that, she turned around and stormed off, leaving little Keridwen to have to hurry after her. “And if we’re going to have a conversation about anyone’s behaviour, it’ll be about yours, not mine. And to be perfectly frank with you, Keridwen, I’m at my wit’s end with you! I’m trying to do everything I can to make your transition into my home as simple and comfortable as possible, and I’m not getting much help from you on your end. So please…tell me what I can do to make this work for the both of us. Tell me what it is that I’m doing—or not doing—that’s making you act this way so that we can at least have a proper and constructive conversation for once.”

“…I just wish that you would believe me…I don’t want you to be mad at me, Lalauri…you’re like, one of the coolest people ever…and you rescued me, so…I just don’t want you to hate me…”

Not knowing what to say to that, Lalauri said nothing. And so, the two continued the rest of their walk home in awkward silence.