Mira's View (21 page)

Galena went to comfort him; but stopped when
she heard an urgent knock at the door. Alarmed, she walked quickly
over and opened it to find a worried looking Tark standing in the
hallway.

“What’s going on in there? Is everything
alright?”

“We’re fine, just having a bit of a
disagreement at the moment,” Galena answered calmly.

“I heard a lot of racket though.” Tark tried
looking over Galena’s shoulder for which she pulled the door closer
to her so as not to let him see the damage within. “You sure it was
a disagreement you were having? Not another wall after you again,
is there? Maybe after Elenio as well?” Tark smirked down at
Galena.

She punched him in the gut, causing him to
bend over slightly with a “humph.” Giving him a smug look in
return, she promptly shut the door in his face.

Galena turned back around to see Elenio in
the same position she had left him in. She walked quietly over so
that she was standing in front of him once more. Galena knelt down
beside him, and pushing on his shoulders lifted him up so they were
face to face. The raw emotions were still there on his features, as
well as in his tense shoulders and arms. Galena almost sobbed aloud
for him.

How could she do this to him? Why did it
have to be her?

He leaned over and placed his head on her
shoulder. Galena kissed the side of his head and began stroking his
hair as he had done so many times to her. With her other hand, she
held his head against her neck and whispered, “Elenio, we have to
do this. You and I both know that we can no longer live in a world
that is controlled by Rau. He would never let us live in peace.
Even here he would find me.” Undeniably true, the weight of her
words pressed down on her. “I know how deep your love is for me,
because I feel it with each gaze and every touch. You are my best
friend, the one who knows everything about me, and still loves me.
I wouldn’t have asked you to come with me except I knew that you
would not stay. We’ll get through this together, of that I’m
sure.”

“How could I know you and not love you? I
think I have always loved you, even when I considered you just my
best friend. You’re my soul mate and you’re right, I would never
have let you go without me,” Elenio said gruffly, turning to kiss
the side of her neck.

“What would I do without you? You are my
comfort, my peace, and my logic. I am so sorry for the torture I
have caused you.” She kissed him lightly before finding his hand
with her own. She led him around the bed and into it. Laying on her
side, she pulled him down next to her so that they were facing each
other. She pulled the blankets up and over top of them and then she
took both his hands with her own and simply held them.

“I love you.”

“My heart is forever yours.” Bringing his
hands to her lips, she kissed them both, staring into his bleak
eyes as she did.

Chapter
Twenty

Galena felt gentle fingers stroking her
cheek. Smiling, she stared at Elenio who was still lying beside
her. She turned her head so that she could kiss the fingers that
stroked her face so lovingly. She stayed his hand with her own and
brought each of his fingertips to her lips. He looked sad again
even though he smiled at her. She knew what he was thinking without
his acknowledging it; still, there was nothing she could do. Tomiro
could not go on as it was.

Elenio turned his attention to the door when
they heard a gentle knock. Giving her fingers one last squeeze, he
rolled over and off the bed, crossing the room in a few strides. He
opened the door, greeted whoever stood out there, and said a quick
thank you.

Galena rolled over and watched him as he
reached for something and then closed the door with his shoulder.
He held their clean clothes in one hand and a plate full of
different looking fruit on a platter in the other.

“Get dressed, and then we’ll eat. This time,
you have to share,” he said, giving her a serious look. Galena was
tempted to grab one of the comfortable pillows and throw it at him,
but decided against it, as she was afraid of knocking over the
food. Instead, sticking her tongue out at him, she threw back the
covers and hopped up. Walking over to him and taking advantage of
the fact that both of his hands were full, she smacked him on the
back of the head before she grabbed her clothes from the top of the
pile and rushed to the washroom to change.

She stripped off the silky, white gown and
threw it to the floor. She pulled on her clean undergarments and
then her leggings, followed by her tunic. She finger combed her
long, coppery hair before braiding it into a plait, and tying it
with a piece of string. Feeling cleaner at least, she turned,
opened the door, and walked right into Elenio, who had changed
while she was getting ready. He scooped her up in his arms, strode
over to the bed, where he unceremoniously dumped her onto the
mattress. Grabbing a foot, he removed her boot and began to tickle
her. Galena was ticklish all over, but it was her feet that were
the worst. Screaming with laughter and pleading all at once, she
tried to kick out with her other leg, but he dodged it easily. Just
as Galena thought she might wet herself if he didn’t stop, he
released her foot and backed out of her range. Grinning down at her
with a smug expression, he turned and headed toward the platter of
food.

His way of getting back was so much better
than mine,
she thought grudgingly to herself as she put her
boot back on.

Galena was concerned because although Ni said
that her ferret had escaped, she had yet to be seen. Elenio kept
telling Galena not to worry and that she would turn up before they
knew it, but she had her doubts. After finishing their platter of
food, Galena strapped her belt and scabbard around her waist, and
replacing her sword in its proper place. Elenio was waiting on her
by the door. She walked over to him where he took her hand as they
went down to find the others.

Tark and Morgo were sharing a table and a
large amount of food in the main area of the lodge when they found
them. Still feeling hungry, Galena sat down and joined them, piling
her plate high with a variety of different foods. She filled her
cup with water, refusing the sour smelling drink that Morgo
offered. Elenio sat in a chair next to her and grabbed a plate as
well, but she noted that he did not grab nearly as much food as she
had.

“So that was an eventful night,” Tark said to
Elenio while he sat there smirking.

Galena took a bite of a yellow piece of fruit
at the same time that she struck out with her foot, connecting it
with Tark’s shin. He cried out in pain and bent to clutch it.

“Leave me alone,” Galena said through a
mouthful of food.

Looking slightly amused at Galena and Tark,
Elenio turned to Morgo. “When are we leaving?”

“I want to leave as soon as we have collected
the supplies promised to us. I think we have stayed too long in
this village, especially if you want to reach the base of the
mountain range in a couple of weeks.” Morgo was also looking from
Galena to Tark, who seemed to be having a silent conversation with
their eyes. Each one refused to turn away from the other, and their
expressions continued to get meaner and meaner. Taking this in, and
the fact that Morgo was no longer eating, but chuckling silently at
the two, Elenio suggested that the two of them go get supplies
while Tark and Galena finished eating or fighting, as they weren’t
sure which they were doing more of at the moment. Morgo agreed, and
with Elenio right behind him, headed out and into the village.

“What was that about?” Tark asked
angrily.

“Didn’t Taura teach you manners?” Galena
retorted. “Besides no more walls, or ceilings for the matter,
attacked me. Elenio was upset, that’s all.” Galena ripped off a
piece of bread, shoving it angrily into her mouth.

Tark seemed taken aback by this and sat back
in his chair surveying Galena as she ate. “He didn’t hurt you, did
he?”

“Really? How long have you known Elenio? Has
he ever done anything to purposefully hurt me?” Galena felt
slightly angry at this question, thinking that Tark should have
known Elenio better than that, seeing how he was a close friend to
him as well. “I do think we need to pay for a mess and a couple of
broken items,” Galena said more to herself than Tark. She thought
of the smashed cup and platter and sighed heavily. She would have
to remember to keep all breakable things away from him in the
future when he got angry.

“I take it he was more upset about
yesterday’s event than he let on?” Tark said, still eyeing Galena
with interest.

Galena brushed her hands on her legs and sat
back, finally feeling full. “I’m beginning to think that I
shouldn’t have let him come along,” she said quietly. “I knew this
would be hard, but I didn’t realize that I would be taking the
brunt of it.” She massaged her temples with her fingers, staring at
the half-eaten plate of food in front of her.

Tark nodded in agreement. “I thought about
killing someone myself, when they brought you out. You were so
pale; I thought for sure you were dead. Then when I saw how much
blood you lost, I just knew you wouldn’t survive. No one could lose
that much and still be alive.” Tark stared at nothing in particular
as a haunted look took over his features.

Galena reached across the table and grabbed
his hand, regaining his attention once more. “I’m fine, so quit
dwelling on what could have happened.”

Tark gave her a half grin, before he stood
up. “I’m going to go pay for the damages Elenio did. You
coming?”

Galena nodded and grabbing her pack, she
stood. Tark was heading toward the bar, his own pack slung across
his shoulder. She stood back taking in the inn, which was empty
except for them. There were twenty or more round stone tables
scattered throughout the room. Each table had a few chairs placed
around it. A large fireplace across from the bar where several of
the fire orbs burned within it, made the room toasty warm. Several
of the floating lights bounced around the ceiling giving the room a
warm pleasant feeling. The bar stood alongside one wall and a large
door leading to the outside was on another. Altogether, it was a
very plain looking room, but it served its purpose.

“The fool won’t take my money,” Tark said
angrily. “I guess the elders announced that we’re not to pay
anywhere for the way that we were received into their village. The
innkeeper said it would be more than it was worth to accept our
money.” He shook his head again and readjusted his pack. “Let’s go
find the others.”

He headed toward the door as Galena took one
more look around her and then followed him out. They stood on a
street that was busy with bustling elves. All of them seemed to
pause on their way to where ever they were going to look at Galena
and Tark. She noted that all their faces seemed to blend together,
not one standing out more than the other. Elenio’s threats of
keeping her hidden here loomed in her mind and she shuddered
involuntarily. No matter what, she would not stay hidden away
anywhere underground.

“Maybe we should wait for them to come back,”
Tark suggested as he took in the busy street.

Galena simply nodded as she leaned her back
against the inn wall. She grew tired of watching the passing elves
long before Morgo and Elenio returned, however. Their packs were
bulging and they both carried a large amount of items in their
arms. They had gotten new blankets, as well as new clothes for
everyone. Morgo had procured a large amount of jires, splinters for
their campfires, pieces of food, and anything else they could
possibly need for a long journey. He alone wore a grin on his face
as he approached them.

“All of it, free of charge. Now, if we can’t
stop at another village from here to the mountain base, we would
still be fine! I even have enough to make it back home safely.”
They handed out the supplies to Tark and Galena, who filled their
own packs as well. Once their packs were back in place, Morgo
shouldered his before gesturing with his hand in the direction of
the tunnels that they would be taking. “Shall we go?”

“In a moment. I just need to step in here for
a second,” Elenio said, indicating the inn.

“We already tried to pay. The innkeeper
refused,” Galena said, staring intently at him.

Elenio regarded her for a moment, before
opening the door and stepping in.

She shook her head, but let him go, turning
to Morgo instead. “How long do you think it will take to get to the
mountain range?”

“If we skip a couple of villages, we could be
there in a week and half.”

“I say we do that. I don’t know about the
other two, but I am almost aching to see the sun again,” Tark said,
looking in the direction of the inn door.

Elenio came storming out in that moment,
looking grim, but satisfied.

“Did he take it?” Galena asked
cautiously.

“No, but I left it on the counter. At least I
feel more at peace with it. Whether or not he takes the money is up
to him, but at least I did my part.”

Galena reached for his hand and wound her
fingers with his.

Morgo looked at each of them in turn, then
indicating the direction that they would be heading with his hand,
asked once again “Shall we?”

“Lead the way, my friend,” Galena said as she
took one more look at the inn.

Chapter
Twenty-One

As soon as they entered the tunnel that would
lead them away from the village, Galena heard a scraping noise.
Prepared for a fight, she turned around quickly, only to see
nothing. Waiting for whatever was making the noise to come charging
at her, she almost jumped out of her skin when she felt tiny
pinpricks climbing up her leg. Galena let out a small shout and
jumped in alarm. She glanced down and saw the twitching little
noise of Twoit, climbing up her leg and trying to get to her
customary spot on Galena’s shoulder.