Not Just For Christmas - 2. Chapter 2

It was sunny and warm throughout the Everpastures, the beginnings of summer were starting to nudge the usually pleasant enough weather into even more enjoyable days. Craagen was lounging on a log, laying back and looking up in to the cloudless sky as he waited for the post. This scene had played out most mornings for the past months, and every time it had, it always ended the same way. Maybe there would be a letter or two, but only occasionally was it for him, and never was it from Tligg. Most elves would have given up long ago, but Craagen, he’s not like everyone else, he just knew that one day, he’d hear back. Yet despite his usually unbounded energy and enthusiasm, this was beginning to bother him a little.

“Hey Craagen, what you doing?”

Alphin wandered over towards Craagen's log, perching himself on it just beyond his head.

“Waiting for the post.”

Alphin looked down at his friend, reaching out to gently smooth a small wrinkle in his hat.

“Oh? How unusual! I wonder what you might be waiting for?”

Craagen reached down and grabbed a handful of the freshly mown grass, throwing it lazily towards the other boy.

“What? You’ve been out here every morning, it’s quite obvious you know.”

“I’m just waiting for the post. You never know what might be in it.”

They had known each other for almost ever, and Alphin could sense that things weren’t quite as positive as Craagen’s words and tone attempted to convey.

“OK, whatever, but you can’t waste your whole life waiting. A few of us are going up to the Meadow later, you want to come?”

“Yes! It’s going to be a good day today, I can feel it in my dust already. I’ll bring some food as well.”

Craagen sat up as he replied, smiling.

“Bring lots, Dandra is bringing some hend-leaf and I know how hungry that makes you!”

“When have we ever not had enough food?”

“Erm… just the other week when you ate every slice of chocofly cake?”

“Then you shouldn’t let me smoke so much.”

“Yeah, because you’ve always had such good self control! Ha ha ha.”

“When are you setting off?”

“Whenever I’m ready, we’re all meeting up at the brook.”

Alphin stood to leave, but his eye was caught by a glint in the sky.

“Hey, look at that, looks like you do have post today.”

Craagen leapt up beside him, the two of them watching as the blackbird swooped and swerved towards them, landing very neatly on the post perch. The bird took a few moments to sort through the handful of letters it was carrying, pulling out first one, and then another, before launching up into the sky again with a chirp. Craagen rushed over as Alphin laughed. The first letter was addressed to his his mother. No surprise really, she got a lot of letters. But the second one… the second one!

“It’s here! I knew it! I told you! Oh, oh, oh my, oh my!”

“Oh my, oh my!” Alphin parodied has friend, in a notably sarcastic tone.

Craagen was hopping from one foot to the other, inspecting the envelope carefully.

“I’m sure it’s from him, the mailstamps are from the Shirehamptons! Look. The mailstamps! Shirehamptons!”

“Yeah, the mailstamps. Yay!”

This time, Craagen caught Alphin’s tone.

“Stop that, I’m allowed to be excited aren’t I?”

“Then open it! Blue above, I feel as though I’ve been waiting for the damned boy to write you, so now it’s here just read it!”

Alphin returned to the log, sitting down and watching as Craagen paced around, reading, and pausing every few steps in an attempt at controlling his mounting enthusiasm. By the time Craagen stopped, he looked like he might burst with excitement.

“So?” Asked Alphin.

“He’s going to come over! I must write back to him straight away.”

Craagen started to make his way inside, oblivious to Alphin rolling his eyes.

“Are you still coming up to the Meadow?”

Craagen turned back towards Alphin.

“Oh, yes. Of course. But I must write back first. I’ll meet you there.”

Craagen bounded away, leaving Alphin feeling more than a little rejected. This was exactly what he didn’t want to happen.

Over the next few days there was a flurry of letter writing, as Tligg and Craagen made plans. But soon enough, it was all agreed.

~~~

“And what about boots? Have you got your forest boots?”

Nettoine shouted down the hallway to Tligg as he was packing in his room.

“It’s Blueshine Meadow, not the Swampflats! And it’s almost Summer. I don’t need forest boots!”

Tligg finished stuffing what he needed into his bag, fastening it shut before his mother could insist he take anything else. He was sure he already had far too many things, even in the two bags he had reduced it down to.

“I just don’t want you being caught out, it’s a long way to come back for boots.”

Nettoine had returned to her overseeing position in his doorway. She was happy to see her son’s somber mood finally lift, but still, it was in her nature to worry.

“It’s not that far really…” Tligg reiterated.

“It’s two days, and long days at that.”

“Yes, by walking horse.”

“Hmm. And how else do you imagine getting there?”

I could fly, like any normal elf would do - but that thought remained unspoken. Tligg had never really understood why elves had magic, but so rarely used it. It wasn’t as if it was in short supply, almost everyone was able to make elf dust, unless there was something seriously wrong with them. And there were even lessons at school. And yet in reality, no-one seemed to make use of it. At least no-one in the Shirehamptons. To get on a horse and make it fly - that kind of behaviour was more or less unheard of! Even if it would make your journey twenty times faster.

“And you’ll stay at the inn in Stonebridge?”

“Yes Mum, we’ve been over this a hundred times!”

Tligg tried his best not to huff, without any obvious degree of success. Not that the inn was a bad option, it had an excellent reputation and he would be perfectly safe there.

“I’m just making sure, it’s a long way.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“And make sure you write as soon as you get there.”

“Of course I will.”

“OK then. You should get to bed soon, it’s an early start in the morning to get up to Stonebridge.”

“Yes Mum, I know. So as soon as you stop fussing around I’ll get ready for bed!”

When morning rolled around, and early morning at that, Nettoine was just as busy fussing over Tligg, and Tligg was just as frustrated with her doing so. Having finally made his goodbyes with his mother, Tligg made his way over to the edge of the lake, to Hoodric’s. Hoodric’s was the only horse-clave for a good hours walk where you could hire a decent horse. An advantage he never seemed to capitalise on as he was generally considered to be be very fairly priced. Tligg looked around for a moment before spotting the older elf coming out of a stable.

“Ah, young Tligg is it? A fine morning for it?”

Hoodric often phrased statements as questions, for no apparent reason.

“Hi Hoodric, it’s early, I don’t know about anything else.”

“Must be heading a long way if you needs to be going with the sun?”

“Up to Stonebridge, for today anyway, and then on to the Everpastures, Blueshine Meadow.”

“Oh, I see. Up to Blueshine are you?”

“Yes…” Like I just said.

Hoodric called over a very fine looking horse, which seemed to be regarding Tligg with a sense of superiority than only a horse can manage.

“You’ll be taking Hellender here, she’ll see you good for Stonebridge as sure as green is green.”

Tligg regarded the horse warily, he was a little bit intimidated by Hellender, and felt sure that she knew it. Hoodric helped Tligg secure his bags in place and then finally get himself up into the saddle.

Twenty minutes later and Tligg was out towards the edge of the wood, following the track that would eventually lead to Stonebridge. After a few early differences of opinion, he and Hellender seemed to have reached an agreeable way forward, in that Hellender essentially did whatever she thought was best, unless Tligg very strongly disagreed. For a while after the last house, the trees got thicker and the track weaved it’s way in and out seemingly at random. And then, finally, the trees gave way to sky, the horizon, and the first proper sense of leaving home behind for Tligg. As the path evened out, Hellender picked upped her pace a little, enjoying the opportunity to push herself a little harder than the woods usually allowed, prompting Tligg to hold on tighter, leaning down against her, out of the wind.

“Are you really going to make us walk all that way?”

The voice startled Tligg, pushing him upright and alert.

“Y-you… you’re a talking horse?”

Hellender exhaled heavily, mild exasperation pushed from her nostrils.

“Every horse can talk, we just don’t usually have much to say.”

Tligg stared down at Hellender in disbelief, which she seemed to sense as she slowed in order to look back at him in equal disbelief. Of course Tligg had heard the generally accepted idea that some horses could talk. But he didn’t know anyone who had ever witnessed this, except probably Hoodric.

“Well?” Hellender asked, returning her attention back to the path ahead of them.

“Well what? What else are we supposed to do?”

This was met with another sigh from the horse.

“You’re a pure elf, aren’t you?”

“Yes, of course I am! I’m not some sort of half-breed!”

“Then make us fly, unless you *want* to spend two days getting there.”

Tligg looked at his hands, unsure exactly how to do that. He knew the theory, but had never actually done it before.

“It’s just… I’m not sure I know precisely how.”

“Don’t worry, just think it close enough and I’ll do the rest.”

Materialising magic dust is, in theory at least, an on demand process. Tligg could still remember his first time, realising that he just had to find it within himself, part with his mind, part with his body, and then, it would be there. But magic dust, other than looking quite pretty, isn’t much use on it’s own. It has to be tempered with purpose. Which is why it’s not so much of a problem when young elves like Tligg get a little too excited in other ways and magic dust also materialises. It just needs cleaning up.

Tligg concentrated for a moment, and then directed his thoughts towards flying as the dust started to form in his hands. When there seemed to be enough, which was always a bit of guesswork, Tligg waved his hands around, sprinkling the dust all over both Hellender and himself, earning a snort of approval from the horse. Almost immediately he could sense their speed picking up. The bumps of the gallop getting closer and closer together. And then, the strangest feeling as everything became calmer, smooth. Suddenly the ground seemed much softer, and Tligg looked down to realise that they were now not on the ground at all. They were flying.

They gained height steadily, the trees looking smaller, like everything down on the ground, as the wind rushed past. The feeling was incredible, so much better than flying in a sled or a carriage, neither of which he had done often, but still, this was definitely more fun. Other than the wind, it was also much quieter than on the ground. Occasionally there would be a bird flying alongside them, but other than that, it was peacefully devoid of others.

Tligg was mesmerised by the sight of the land streaking away so quickly below them, and was surprised when he saw them passing over Stonebridge so soon. The wide river, and of course the bridge over it, were easy to spot from the air. He knew his mother would strongly disapprove, but this was a much better way to travel. He watched as the landscape changed below them, the flats of the fens around Stonebridge started to undulate slowly, rising and falling as Hellender flew over them. The muted browns and greens that had been present ever since leaving home started to shift and change, as the greens became brighter and the browns faded away, giving way to the lush grass filled with flowers and occasional trees of every colour imaginable. The Everpastures. Looking up to expand the range of his view, they really did appear to go on forever in to the distance.

Soon enough Hellender started to slow a little, descending as she followed the land over the top of a hill, down towards a wide, shallow valley. The colours were changing again, still lush and varied, but now tinged with a silver blue hue. It was as beautiful as it was exciting, for this surely had to be Blueshine Meadow. Tligg leaned closer to Hellender.

“Is this it? Is this where we are going?”

The horse didn’t reply, apparently her time for talking had passed. But she continued the slow descent, so Tligg felt sure that he was right. They came to rest very gracefully, just outside of what seemed to be the main grouping of houses and distinctly elven development. Hellender walked in, seeming to know the way, until she came to a stop by what looked to be another horse-clave. An elf even older than Hoodric soon appeared, as Hellender helped herself to water from a trough.

“Ah, you must be from Hoodric’s, although I wasn’t expecting you until end of sun tomorrow. So you took the express way? Very good. It’s a long ride. I’m Yurgenem, welcome to Blueshine Meadow young man.”

“Thank you very much!” Said Tligg, as he was being helped down with his bags. Tligg took a few moments to steady himself on solid ground again.

“I’m sorry, I’m Tligg Winterbaum. Thanks again.”

“'Tis no problem at all young’un. Now where are you heading for?”

“I’m looking for Craagen, Craagen Starmerund. Do you know where I’ll find him?”

“Do I know? Ha ha ha.” Yurgenem laughed heartily, clearly amused by the question.

“Young’un, Tligg was it? Pretty much everyone around here knows everyone. You’ll need to head on through the main square there, then take to the path out past the Four Suns. It’s the last house there, can’t miss it.”

Tligg picked up his bags, pulling one on to his back, and carrying the other, as he looked around, taking in the new environment.

“Thank you, thanks very much!”

Yurgenem waved as Tligg headed off.

“Now Hellender, how have you been? I’ve not seen you this way for a good few moons!”

The old elf led Hellender towards the stables, looking like two old friends catching up on the world. Tligg looked around, trying to take in his exciting but strange new surroundings. Familiar, because things weren’t really that different to back home in Primrose Downs, but at the same time, it was all very different. Following the path, it was only a short walk in to the main square, from where Tligg easily spotted the Four Suns. An inn that looked just about as enticing as it ever could, he just knew that there would be warm welcome and cool ale waiting inside. Both of which were tempting, but the thought of seeing Craagen, surprising him a day early, easily won out.

There were only a handful of dwellings on the road out past the inn, and the old elf had been right, you really couldn’t miss the Starmerunds. Less a large house, more a large collection of smaller houses and buildings. Tligg assumed it had previously been a farm or something, even though it didn’t seem to be in any way used for work any more. He walked up to what was obviously the main house, and dropped his bag down on the floor. Unexpectedly nervous, he took a breath before knocking on the sturdy wooden door. Like all of the buildings he had seen, the doors and windows were all painted in bright and varied colours, so different to the plain and muted look of his own home. There was no answer, so he knocked again, more firmly this time. There was still no response, and Tligg was just about to turn around and head back to the Four Suns after all, when he heard voices. Looking around, he couldn’t see anyone, and assumed that they must be outside, around the side of the house perhaps. There seemed to be plenty of open space. Picking up his bag, he wandered around the house, and then through the gate in the fence, dropping his bag again as he took in the sight before him.