Chapter 8 - Two Mountain (2)

She walked ahead and yelled, "Learn the first ten pages of that book or else I won't let you leave this place alone with or without the Errian Ring," she turned around and disappeared behind an ebony door.

Raiene sighs and turns the book around. Her eyes pulled up in confusion, whispering the title of the book.

The Essential Book of Human Survival by Jonathan Lorth.

Such a tacky title. She thought.

The wooden cottage was two times more spacious than the small hut Ruby owns. There's a comfortable couch at one corner with a round wooden table. Four wooden shelves with peculiar carvings filled with bottles from different sizes, content and colours. A small dining table adjointed with a small kitchen at another corner, and a wooden staircase that leads to the second floor right beside a furnace.

It was a cosy and comfortable space, enough to make Raiene choose this place as her second home after Ruby's hut. Though she lives with her mother within one secluded corner inside the castle, Raiene never considers the castle as her home. It was a place full of beings who never cared whether she lived or not.

Her eyes scanned the little paintings scattered around one corner of the wall and a red bright carpet near the round table. Surprised to find it clean and spotless. Looks like Alin does her very best in taking care of this place.

Clutching the book tightly, she decides to sit at the couch, feeling warmth from the small blanket engulfed her entire body and while continue to admire the place.

"The Lantern Festival will start in four days from now and will last for about five days. Before the Festival begins, I reckon you should read that," Ruby points towards the book Raiene holds within her embrace.

Ruby grabbed a cup and poured herself water and continued, "Read the first ten pages, in case you happen to meet other creatures, there's a brief explanation about fairy, witches, and nymph."

Ruby takes a seat right opposite Raiene, her hands reaching out for a few scattered letters above the table. Some require urgent reply while others seem directed at different creatures, her eyes searching for a certain name before she informs Raiene once again, "I also think that you should learn hunting from Alin. She is an expert when it comes to catching wild animals."

Raiene's ears perk up upon hearing that statement. Since a long time ago, she has been catching little animals with her handmade wooden bow and arrow back at Arrenquile. It was part of her little amusement she used to have with Crion, they would compete for a whole day as to who could hunt down more animals than the other.

Because Crion doesn't have the talent to capture a single animal, he would constantly whine to stop the competition, stating that he didn't have a single fun. Since then, Raiene would go alone and spend half a day inside the forest, though most of the time Crion would drag and try to convince her to do something else.

Now that Crion isn't by her side and Alin could be considered an expert in this field, her excitement had reached the sky and she immediately rose to stand up. When she was just about to take a step, her body fell down to the couch, forcibly glued in place. She directed her scowls at Ruby.

Ruby's index finger points right at her body, in an instant proving the perpetrator to her current body condition, which is still in place. Raiene could only cross her hand while pouting in displease, trying to look rebellious.

"What did I tell you? Read the book first," she said, gulping down water from a cup while snickering at her.

Letting out audible long breath, Raiene started to open the thick book.

Her spine shivered just from reading a few words of the tacky book, she tried to force herself to read through each sentence. While repeating the same chants inside her head. 

Just ten pages!

• • ⊱∘────·☽༓☾·────∘⊰ • •

Snow piles up the ground, covering the green lush of the forest and its surroundings blanketed in blinding white taking a close resemblance to an empty canvas. Wind chiming through the gap of majestic trees as the lights of sun pierce through clearing up the way.

It was at that time when a soft playful laughter erupted inside the forest, while the sound of two different steps taking over its vicinity. A maid tried hard to catch up from behind, reaching her hand towards a child right in front with sweat trickling down and panting heavily.

Contrary to the maid's state at the moment, not a single sweat emerged from her head and just a light step from her could bring a few paces further away from the maid without much problem.

The girl follows a brightly lit path with the sun shining above her head, familiar with her surroundings and trusting her own memory, she takes another turn and arrives at the place her mother had once instructed. Finding no one tailing her, she smiled from ear to ear, giggling before jumping without much consideration into the lake.

Her body plunged deep into the water, as the previous whisper of wind changed to the serene sound of bubbling water. Instantly, her bright green eyes turn gold under the water, while her neck starts to slit and forms gills, allowing her to breathe underwater without much problem.

Swimming deeper, she smiles upon reaching the spot that she had become familiar with, within a second she whispers the song that her mother once taught her, the water around her quickly wraps her body, swallows and pulls her down deeper.

The Eyions Lake mermaid castle. The place where a certain mermaid named Madia lives, she swims through different paths and little house-like colourful crystal stones and finds the person she was looking for.

'Elrin, coming here again?'

Giggling, she nodded her head.

Madia shakes her head in disapproval, it is Elrin's tenth time going against the maid's words, they clearly told her to stay put inside Suttern and only allow her to leave at certain times with a few guards following her tail. Once again, Yoani will definitely scold the little girl.

'Come on. We need to get you back to the land.'

Elrin shakes her head as she scrunches her face in refusal, not wanting to swim ascend. It has been three days since she visited Madia and truthfully it pains her every time she spends her days without visiting this underwater palace. 

Ever since The Queen of Suttern shut her eyes, restrictions on Princess Elrin's movement have increased, her movement and activities thoroughly inspected and guarded.

She used to be able to wander around the forest, jump into the depth of Eyions Lake or even climb up the highest tree within the lush green vicinity of Suttern Palace. Her life has always been free of rules, though at that time the Queen of Suttern was still able to stand by her side and protect her in silence.

Elrin can easily picture an image of her mother, standing by the side of the lake with her white majestic dragon, looking over her while Elrin chases after a black wolf, giggling with unlimited joy spreads her entire face.

Eyes staring back at her mother's face brilliantly light up like hers, smiling from ear to ear, when whispering ever so slightly, but the child will always catch the words despite how soft she uttered it.

'My love. Rin'

It comes out of blue like an explosion right in front of her face, when she becomes aware about the limitation which gradually turns her daily routine from an adventurous filled with magical colours into something suffocating and uncomfortable white dull of blank canvas.

Fully controlled by the maid, her activities only revolve around studying, eating, sleeping and drawing. The rest of activities she used to do without a tiny concern of others now has reduced greatly. Leaving her frustrated and starts to turn a little rebellious.

Elrin bit her lower lips, trying hard to resist the tears that were about to come. But Madia could only whisper inside her mind.

'Rin. Good Child.'

Despite her reluctance, she nodded her head, this time swimming ascended with her eyebrow pulled up in disappointment. Eyes slowly turning back to the colour of green and the gills that slowly closed and disappeared.

She emerged from the lake, breathing heavily and swimming across to the edge, the maid quickly came to fetch her, scolding her a little and sighing, "It's winter, Your Highness. The Queen will be angry if she is aware of this."

Yoani wraps several clean towels around Elrin, even though she is aware the little girl was never affected by cold or heat.

Elrin glanced at her side, at first disappointment still clear around her face, but after a while, a smile began to stretch on her face. Bringing light to those around who witness.

She smiled further when she heard that whisper, like always.

'Good Child.'

• • ⊱∘────·☽༓☾·────∘⊰ • •

Raiene chose to approach the wolf.

Strange. She thought.

Its eyes are bloodshot red, but a tint of dark purple could visibly be seen.

"How dare you!"

It was a clear voice resounding through the forest, her finger pointed at the wolf with a face full of accusation. Feeling irritated for losing the deer that worth a few silvers. It's all gone because this wolf had decided to prey upon the same one she had chosen as her own.

Now she has to find another animal that could replace the previous deer. It will be a hard task considering how scarce the forest inside the Land of Qye, it's so calm and serene that she could feel her own heartbeat.

The wolf stands limply in front of her continued to let out vicious growls, firm in bearings despite its gushing open wound, his eyes filled with strong determination that Raiene couldn't quite put together. She chooses to scold it one more time. Witnessing the way the wolf's orbs shook from surprise, though it wasn't moving an inch after that.

Through all her life, she had been surrounded by wolves the first time she left Arrenquile and they all could talk with her through strange ways inside her mind. Encountering another wild wolf inside Qye wasn't something to be alerted for.

She knows what to do and confident in the ways she handles certain creatures, as she becomes used to the multiple strange creatures she came across while exploring Tirren Forest near Arrenquile.

However, there's one thing different from this wolf.

Wait.

Why didn't it say a thing?

Raiene tilted her head in confusion, blinking her eyes, once again examining the wolf.

Perhaps, shy?

She points her fingers right at the wolf's nose, keeping eye contact while reprimanding with stern and resolute face.

"Stay here! I will fetch herbs for you! So stay!" Raiene turns around and leaves the grumbling wolf behind.

Who starts to look rather dumbfounded.