Crossing Tulusala: Chapter One

Droplets of rain pattered off the high tower roof, and those that did not fall into my pale outstretched hands would dance in the air as hey gracefully fell to the ground creating delicate clear puddles.
I leaned my head out the window and my soft platinum blond hair fell forward like the dancing waters in the air as the wind did blow it about my smiling face. Only a coward would fear the rain.
“Princess, please return to your seat,” Falburt looked cross as he was in the height of his famous lecture on the elven monarch. It was his greatest pride of his practised speeches, never a bore, but no very enchanting to listen to from one who is not an elve but a high tutor and arcane keeper of knowledge.
“I told you not to address me by princess, I do no care very much for titles.” I countered with a slight grin appearing at the corners of my mouth.
“Right…please Kressy, return to your seat so we may begin geography,” Falburt was obviously put out by my lack of interest in his speech. I found his pride in his knowledge both amusing and irritating.
I ignored his wish instead turning my attention to the hills in the distance. I enjoyed the fact that every day as I stat uninterested in a mathematical equation and riddle in my seat while Falburt drooled on I could simply turn my attention to a fixation I had with these curious mountains.
Through the sparking rain I made out the faint shimmer of dusk setting against the boarders of he hills making them radiate with a warm gentle light. Tracing the faint glow with my pale finger I hoped I could just make out…
“Kressy! Please, return to your seat!”
Sighing I gave up and sat down at the old oak desk which was now covered by a large map of our lush country and glittering blue ocean. Falburt was tracing his finger across the map like I traced mine across the mountains mere moments ago, indicating certain places.
“See the Maridian Ocean, the Netharin Forests, the Elven refuge of Anthen, and where we are; in the capital Florrie. See here is the castle—”
“—But what o the mountains of Tulusala? What lies beyond them?” I cut in pressing my hand down on the great blank space inside the faint lines of the mountains no far from here. No one I had ever asked, even the greatest boldest of the explorers that travelled from far have crossed them. Atleast the high arcane keeper of knowledge should know!
Falburt met my question with babbling stutters and a grim look of shook and confusion.
“Um…I…er…you see…well…no one really does know…”
“You of all people should. Claiming to know all there is you need to know when you can’t even tell me what is hidden in mere hills!”
Maybe this fall would knock him off his high horse. Prancing around with bragging of knowing in my opinion is frowned upon. But it’s a rouge, in Falburt’s case; he has to hide behind his status and learning to cover his weak and timid personality. It gets aggravating at times though.
Falburt removed his spectacles and rubbed the lenses with his white spotless sleeve “Princess,” he knew that would annoy me “I they are mere hills then one does not need to know what they hide. And certainly someone of your status who will never venture into them, or farther than the edge of the city for that matter.”
I slammed my fist onto the table hard enough to make a rip in the map right across the palace. I wanted to do more, Falburt was surely going out of his way to distress me today, it seemed unfathomable that a worry-worst man so meek and mild inside could ever unintentionally aggravate someone higher than him so much!
“Maybe we should end the lessons for today, your father wants to see you shortly anyway Kressy…” glad to be free I bayed Falburt farewell in my sincerest tone I could find at that moment in time before heading down the tower steps that lead toward the gardens.
I will go beyond the city and I will find what lies beyond the hills I reassured only myself. Just because I was a princess dose not mean I was a fragile little creature unable to wander down the mere streets without getting lost. I needed neither sheltering nor protection.
To me, royalty was a curse. You would have the finer things in life yes but you never got the chance to do great thing. I missed out on an innocent normal childhood most of time instead silly folk tried to teach me in arts and educate and subject in the real world I would never need for other than bragging. Rarley could I escape to fields and forest to run free, and these became my ideal days enjoyed but far between.
Falburt said father wanted to see me soon…I can’t show up in a mood like this…Only one person could ever erase the displeasures Falburt always placed on my usually light and carefree mind and return me to ease:
Avion.
The rain was pattering harder through the open windows. I pulled on a cloak hanging by the door before slipping out into the rain unnoticed. I let my hood fall back and laughed as it rolled down my face. Why did people run from something so natural and great? How anyone could be sad in weather like this would always remain a mystery to me.
I tread through the puddles I have I gazed down from the tower heading towards the Brazeer’s Market. Avion was always there on a Tuesday – rain or not.
As I turned the first corner a flood of people rushed past me probably in escape to a warm dry house. A few people remained, gendering at objects or hiding under the stall roofs to romaine dry
Avion was easy to spot by the travellers stall. His honey hair hung down sparkling in the rain like soft flower covered in droplet of fresh dew in the early spring morning. His skin was a glowing pale like moonlight covered in starry freckles. And his smile that lit p his chocolate eyes and was now appearing on his face as he turned his gaze away from the items he intended to buy instead to me was that of sly cats(which was not very flattering on his pointed ears).
“Avion!” I rushed into his warm arms and embraced him.
Avion was my closest and dearest friend every since I was a wild little girl running off into the forest. That’s where I met him and his clan. He was just an impish little elven boy then, but he though me brave to go scrabbling around in the mud and dirt barefoot in the woods, braver than all the other girls in his clan.
“Whats all this about? We’ve only be apart for a week.” Avion hugged me back none the less. A very long and unnecessary week.
Stepping out of Avion’s arms I smiled at him “Its all right, you are forgiven.”
Avion laughed, and I quickly joined in. It felt like we were back in forest again as two children playing carefree without a though towards the impending future that threatened to take the away the innocence and joy that was held within us. That impending future was still dangling over me.
Avion picked up a- damp – leather satchel laying on the stall and addressed the stall owner “I’ll take this,” handing over two copper pieces Avion placed the satchel on his back and began to walk away.
“Come on,” he called “or would you like to stand around in the rain all day?”
Before I could respond with yes of course Avion grabbed my pale flimsy wrist and dragged me away down the market passing corners and odd empty shops passing the darker part of Florrie – not that I ever really made a protest or fought against his grip. The quaint shops and wet coble path started to thin out till it all together gave way to dewy green grass and a muddy brown path.
“Where, may I ask are you talking me against my will?” I asked raising my brow – or as much as I could while being dragged through mud. Avion just tilted his head a fraction to allow me to see the smile planted on his creamy face that just oozed the cocky words “you’ll see”…
After sometime passed large tress appeared in the distance. Avion was taking me to Amber Forest. What was so special about this place that he needed to drag me into it without a word? I had been through it many times before, and of course his clan live in the centre.
Hmm…
Soon we were surrounded by mighty lush trees towering high over us, shielded from the heavy downpour of rain. Avion suddenly spun around and covered my eyes, blocking my vision. Avion pressed me on holding me stead and telling me when to step over something or duck a tree branch. Suddenly he uncovered my eyes and stepped back.
“We’ll, why am I here then?” I crossed my arms impatiently.
Avion cocked his golden mop head to the side “Don’t you remember this place Kressy? It’s where we used to come as kids.”
I looked behind Avion and saw a familiar open glen. Large gnarled trees that were perfect for laying under covered the edges and tow brown mossy logs sat in the middle around a black ring that was once used for fire. But the thing that caught my attention was a little brown rope swing hanging down from one of the trees being pushed back and forth by the faith wind.
I slowly approached it and stroked the decrepit wood. Distant faded memories started to come back to me. I sat down on the swing and pushed myself a little.
I felt Avion creep up behind me and begin to push. It felt nice, like we were those innocent young kids again just playing without a care in the world.
“We used to play here all the time, almost everyday. Yet we never got bored of it. It was always so great. Then…” then they started telling us we should be playing with other children and teaching us boring skills and trying to make us grow up “…why did we stop?”
“You wanted to leave this place the way it was. Full of childhood memories, not spoiled as we got older and our feelings for it changed.”
We kept swinging for a little bit, in a quaint but awkward silence. IT didn’t feel right to disturb this peaceful moment. The only sound was the creak of the swing in motion and the patter of the rain falling elegantly through the canvas of trees.
“Why did you bring me to this place?” I finally whispered still afraid to disrupt the silence.
Avion wouldn’t answer for a while, instead he moved closer to me till he was only inches away “I’m leaving,” he let the words sink into my frazzled mind “I’m going up to the mountains for a while. I just wanted to be somewhere special when I told you.”
A million thoughts and feeling rushed through my head. He was leaving, going up to the Tulusala Mountains where nobody went, he was going to abandon me for who knows how long with no explanation as to why. Yet the only words that could escape my tightly pressed together lips were lips “may I accompany you?”
Avion spun the swing round so that I was staring into his deep brown solemn eyes.
“No. Your are not to come with me, understand? It is dangerous up there and I’ll not let any harm befall you.”
“Now your treating me like everyone else does! A delicate fragile little princess who cannot defend herself against even a house fly! I won’t have it!” I realised how bratty I sounded, like a true spoiled princess.
A deep chuckle erupted from Avion throat “You? Delicate? Fragile? Do not jest Kressy,” Avion turned the seat again and began to push me back and forth once more.
“So…If I am neither delicate nor fragile you needn’t worry about me. So I should be allowed to accompany you?” An icy wind passed through the glen forcing me to hold the slightly damp borrowed cloak tighter to my skin. It didn’t exactly reinforce my notion.
“Kressy Merith Dedrian of Florrie, for the last time. You are not to—"
“If you do not let me come with you I’ll go up there myself. Which would you rather choose?”
Avion sighed in a Falburt fashion “Fine, you can come with me. Get your things together and come up with an explanation about your absence; I doubt your parents will allow you to take off into the mountains. I will return for you in a few days.”
The rain had begun to trickle out of the sky at a faster pace, no longer simply landing on the leaves and slowly dribbling off but instead impaling them and falling to the forest floor(or occasionally onto one of us). The winds had picked up, billowing my cloak—which was rung through by now—a little.
The silence returned, but only much much eerier and quite unfriendly. Even so I had to break its unnerving spell “Hey Avion…Avion?” but when I turned round I found the glen was devoid of anyone except or myself glen and it had been nothing but the wind pushing me…