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aeon-harshal · 16 days

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Winged Bluejay

Chapter 1 & summary

First draft of Chapter 2 of Winged Bluejay below Approximately 2184 words

<>-Chapter 2 Heartwarming Supper-<>

The trek back to their village was unusually quiet. The wildlife had resumed their singing and chirping as the large, winged predators had long since moved past, however Asha had no inclination to talk and neither did Alexos. She loved that gryphon and he assumed she felt like this was the last time she would ever see him. She was preparing to leave her childhood home behind… if they left Raven’s Bluff, he doubted that she would ever want to return.

Hell, he did not want to return if he left.

"Hey, Asha," Alexos glanced her way.

"Yes?" She responded monotonously, looking at him with tired eyes and a slight frown, barely able to muster the energy to answer him.

The words he had hoped to push out died in his throat. She was utterly miserable, on her last shred of hope. Alexos was briefly grateful that she did not seem to find his pause strange, “Why don't you come have dinner with my family? Mum says you're always welcome,” he grinned from ear to ear, desperately hoping he could lift her dreary spirit.

She blinked, slowly thinking it over. She gave a small smile, still exhausted. “Why not? I haven't had a decent meal in weeks,” she said, holding her head higher, her steps growing lighter.

He smiled. Genuinely. He did not expect the renewed enthusiasm to last, but he could not bare to see her so forlorn. They at last filled the quiet with idle chatter of his mum cooking. Asha did not cook. She kept up with her brothers and father rather than sticking to house making with her mother.

Asha’s dour mood lifted properly once they arrived on the outskirts of Alexos’s family farm, the late afternoon sun beginning to crest over the distant mountains.

They marched up the dirt pathway and up the steps of the porch. They could hear the sound of Alexos’s younger siblings, laughing wildly and screaming with joy halfway though the road. He sighed, playfully rolling his eyes as he pushed the door open, a tired smile spread across his face. Asha smiled as well. His family was wonderful, but the younglings were exhausting sometimes. She was very glad to be the youngest in her family.

“I'm home,” Alexos declared, joyous as ever. Immediately the two youngest screamed his name and ran up to their big brother, tackling him with hugs. Alexos wheezed as they knocked the wind out of him and threw him off balance for a moment.

“Where were you!” The youngest, Rosemary, shouted at her big brother as she stepped away, putting her hands on her hips, giving Alexos a reproachful look- a childish, but cute pantomime of their mother.

“Mum told us where he went,” Kale yelled at his twin as he let go of Alexos. He and Asha both smiled and carefully pushed their way through the door, Asha closing it behind her while Alexos attempted to usher the youngsters towards the kitchen. Heris’s warm voice came from there as did the mouthwatering aroma of Sofia’s splendid vegetable stew. “Mum said he was out with Asha askin’ her to marry him!”

Asha’s stomach flipped, the world suddenly spinning. Meanwhile Alexos’s face turned red as a blooming poppy, quickly sputtering out, “Mum! Wh-what have yew been tellin’ them!” He quickly walked around his young siblings, practically flying into the kitchen.

“Ohh! Another sister! Another weddin’!” Rosemary said dreamily, putting her hands together in delight. Asha’s face warmed this time. Warm laughter and anxious demands for explanation came from the kitchen. “Did you say yes? Can I call you sissy? When are you gonna have babies?” Rosemary carried on as if it was all set in stone!

“Girls,” Kale muttered, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

“H-hey!” Asha snapped at him, making the twins jump slightly. “Not all girls are obsessed with marriage and the like… and you,” she looked at Rosemary while Kale flushed in shameful embarrassment. “There's more important things in life than marriage.”

Rosemary huffed and turned around, strolling to the kitchen with her chin up.

“It's rude to walk away from somebody who's talking to you!” Asha sighed. Stubborn child… she looked at Kale, who wore a grumpy pout. “Come on, let's go eat,” she smiled at him, putting her hand on his shoulder until he looked up at her curiously and then smiled. When they caught up to the rest of the family in the kitchen it was every bit an embarrassing mess as ever.

Alexos’s blush had not subsided at all.

“Well, we couldn't help ourselves. I was looking forward to having two new daughters,” Sofia laughed merrily, stirring the caldron of stew, more than enough for the entire family and Asha’s ‘unexpected’ inclusion.

“Aye! What happened with that? Did yew fumble it?” Heris, Alexos’s father chuckled heartily, slapping the table good-naturedly.

“Dad!” Alexos groaned, rubbing his aching forehead, hiding his face behind his hand. His parents merely gave another good laugh.

Sofia looked over her shoulder, her creamy hair getting in the way, “You kids know we're only teasing. Certainly a girl like Asha deserves a prince,” she beamed as Asha’s face turned red.

She scoffed, taking a seat next to Heris. Rosemary immediately sat down beside her. “That's sounds awfully mean to Alexos- but you're not wrong,” Asha smiled awkwardly at her friend, hoping to ease the strange tension and move away from this discussion.

“Yeah,” Alexos cleared his throat, turning towards his mother with a smile equally as anxious as his friend's, “Mum yew should be building me up since I'm not inheriting the farm.”

Heris smothered a noise, perhaps another, wilder laugh, though his expression was nothing short of amused. Sofia snorted, turning a smug grin towards him, “Boy, you have great enough ambition and the will to make it happen- a Gryphon rider is easy to marry, it's simply a matter of finding a young lady who will respect you as much as I expect you to respect her. Miss Asha here has plenty of ambition too, which is why she deserves a prince.”

Asha blushed with pride this time. “Thank you, ma’am,” she murmured. She certainly did not feel like she deserved anyone so great. Someone who treated her kindly yes, but not a prince. She would not make a great noblewomen.

“Mum, where's Leeann?” Alexos asked, at last deciding to take a seat beside Kale.

“Leeann!” Sofia yelled, causing everyone at the table to flinch. A girl’s muffled reply answered her.

“Ahh, that's one way of summoning her. Ha! Well, Asha, since you're joining us for dinner, how are this year’s foals doing?” Heris asked, wearing a big grin.

She smiled, “Very well. I've had a lot of fillies, and only one foal was caught by a wolf so far. I let a hunter onto the property and he says he took care of it. Showed me the pelt and everything. Oh! And I have the prettiest set of colts- one's all black with a white star on his head and the others a gorgeous palomino.”

“A palomino? Flasom’s progeny?” Heris asked.

“yes, sir. He's fathered three palomino foals. Cream is the colt’s mother and he seemed to be well tempered. He's a curious little guy too,” Asha gleefully told him about the best foals, both out of genuine love and excitement for the horses she was breeding and raising, but also to sell him on the idea of taking the herd. Her father was the most renown horse breeder in the eastern region of Cor’vale, and so she had inherited the best herd as well as all his skills for taking care of the graceful creatures. It should not be that hard to convince him to take the horses. She had a good stock of mares, some beautiful stallions, plenty of fresh foals and had all the lineages properly documented.

“Talkin’ about horses again?” Miss Leeann asked, marching into the kitchen with her hands on her hips, a slight scowl on her lips.

Asha went quiet, managing an even smile to mask her frustration.

“Aye, girl “ Heris nodded, “Asha’s got quite a prized herd, no doubt worth a small fortune,” he smiled at the raven-haired girl beside him. "Speaking of Child. When you take the horses to market, I would like for Rory to go with you. He'll be needing the extra coins. More than Alexos."

Rory- he was newly engaged. He was good with the horses and… He was supposed to inherit, but would a conversation hurt anything? Kale could inherit the farm. It would give the youngest boy more stability than what he currently had. If things turned out that way at least.

"Not a problem, sir, "Asha nodded.

"Isn't Rory supposed to help around the farm?” Leeann asked, sitting down beside Alexos.

“The horses don't go to market until the summer,” Asha replied with an even tone, “The planting should be done by then.”

“She's right,” Heris nodded, “and never you mind what the boys are supposed to be doing. Your father here will keep on them.”

“Yes, daddy,” Leeann sighed, “Can we talk about something other than horses though?”

“Of course, my darling,” Haris nodded, “I think I'd like to hear where you two went galavanting this afternoon,” he said, glancing between Asha and Alexos.

The lattered, putting his elbows on the table to bury his face into his hands. Asha laughed. “We walked through the woods up by the mountains.”

“Did you? You didn't see any elves did you?” Haris asked. What would normally be a playful question was deadly serious. Asha tilted her head, a curious look on her face. Alexos lifted his head, also curious. Haris cleared his throat, “Rory and a few others in the village spotted a Sentinel passing through the area.”

“An Elven Sentinel!” Kale asked, eyes bright and a broad smile plastered on his face.

“Kale,” Haris said sharply, but that did nothing to calm his youngest’s excitement. “It could be one or perhaps two. There's no way of knowin’ with the Elves.”

“We didn't encounter any Elves, dad,” Alexos took on his father's serious tone. “Are we sure it's a Sentinel?”

“Aye. Rory swears to the Great Gryphon that it was a tall as a house and the blade on it's back was almost as long,” The older man hummed, sitting back in his chair. Sofia began handing out bowls of a thick stew. “It was only seen on the treeline, thank the gods, but I would rather you two stay away from the wilderness.”

“They aren't gonna find a lot of farmers a threat, mister Graystone,” Asha was not keen to dismiss the seriousness of the situation- one really did not know what the Elves would think or do, certainly not when it was a warrior stalking the woods. Still she doubted they would hurt anyone. Long as the foolish boys in the village did not go out there looking for the Sentinel.

“That may be so, but I would not forgive myself if anything happened to any one of you kids,” Haris looked at both his children and Asha. A slight smile tugged at her lips. “In fact…. Child, don't be mad, but I would like Alexos to walk you home.”

Alexos sighed quietly, rubbing his aching temples while Asha merely smiled. “Yes, sir,” an argument was not going to help her accomplish anything.

The conversation managed to move on from the Elven Sentinel after Kale asked a dozen or so more questions. Talk of Rory’s wedding came up, Sofia hoping for something in between summer and the harvest season. Leeann and Rosemary kept that topic going far longer than Asha, Kale and Alexos cared for. Then Haris took charge and made mentions that their harvest this year was looking to be more than last year and the price on the corn, wheat and green beans they were growing was supposed to be up as well.

It was all lighthearted and fun, warm and bubbly.

After they had finished the stew and Kale and Rosemary had been sent to bed, the jovial atmosphere carried on strong. And in the middle of it all, while Asha listened to Heris and Alexos talking about the harvest, a cold stab of grief went through her heart.

She missed her brothers, but they all moved out, off on their own adventures. Then a few years ago her mother passed and just last winter so did her father.

Asha looked away from all the revelry, staring out the window. It was so dark out there. The moon was hidden behind the clouds that rolled in with the night.

She was not looking forward to the cold and snow. These visits would be less frequent as the horses needed to stay inside most nights to avoid the brutal ice and the wolves would be on the prowl once more… she did not give herself much time to settle her affairs, to deal with the horses, but if she did not make her move would she ever be able to?

#writing #original fiction #original novel #Winged Bluejay #first draft #chapter 2 #Aeon Harshal #feedback welcome #writers on tumblr #fantasy romance #fantasy #fantasy novel

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