✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

27

Mia's POV

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The following two weeks, which, if I'm remembering dates correctly, means we're almost in February, El is back to training me. This morning, after warming up and practicing basic weapon maneuvers, I learned how to ride a horse. Odd, but I did it. And let me tell you, these horses are not like the ones on the farm down the street from my house on Earth. They look like- and are all the size of- Clydesdale horses or bigger. They are more agile and stronger than any horses I've seen, and are all pretty friendly to me.

It took the whole session to get used to riding one, and that includes how to shoot an arrow or throw a knife while riding one. Safe to say my legs are sore already.

When we went back inside to stretch and cool down there were more people than I'm used to seeing in the training arena, mostly adults, a few elves who look my age.

Elanil won't admit it, but I know that the training for war is starting.

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Sunlight peeks through the clouds overhead, casting rays through my window onto the floor. I walk into the bathroom, my bare feet padding on the wood, and look at what I'm wearing.

El convinced me to forget about war for an afternoon to go to the pool room in the castle. I'm excited; I saw the room when I first came here, and had meant to see it more, but never got the chance. So, I'm in my room, looking at my bathing suit, which I guess was in my closet the whole time.

Elves have similar bathing suits to humans, but are more modest, which makes sense. I'm glad. Mine is a black bikini style suit, with a high waisted bottom that is not nearly as 'cheeky' as bikinis on Earth (thank you) and a rectangle top that ties in the back with thick straps. The material feels almost the same as ones on Earth, but it has a thicker, better quality feel.

As I look at my suit in the mirror, I can't help but get a pang of homesickness. I remember going to the pool or beach with my friends and my mom. I haven't seen my mom in... Almost two months? I miss her when I have time to think about her, and sometimes, if I think too hard on it, I want to just leave. But I love it here, and as much as I would go home, staying here and figuring out how to stop the Cin will save my mom, and everyone on Earth. So this is a worthy sacrifice. Plus, I think as I remember what I'm about to go do, I can have some fun here.

I drop a thin cotton dress over my bathing suit, grab a towel, and head to the pool room.

Warm, thick air immediately surrounds me when I close the door. The floor of the pool room is a rock tile, not wood, and in front of me is a large pool, with a shallow and deep end. The pool lining looks like stone, but it's smoothed and glossy. The water is crystal clear, and though I can't see any lights, the water seems to glow. The ceiling is carved to look like elegant, twisting vines, some carved vines wrap around lanterns or other lights that fill the room with a nice, comforting light, plus some natural light from two large, slightly steam-covered windows looking out on the paths and trees. A few padded lounge chairs line the wall a few feet away from the pool edge.

A bubbling, trickling noise gets my attention, coming from the corner of the room. In the corner is a circular hot tub, one that looks big enough to fit a dozen people, and has the same stone lining as the pool. Blocks of limestone and colorful rocks start by the ceiling and end at the edge of the far side of the hot tub, like a mini avalanche of perfect rocks. Trickling from an unknown source, water filters through the rocks and into the cloudy, steamy water.

"Isn't it nice in here?" Elanil's voice echos faintly through the room as she walks over, dropping her towel on a chair. She's wearing a similar suit to mine, but hers is forest green and has a halter top style.