✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

53

Mia's POV

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The familiar scent of fabric and a cozy fire fills my nose as I enter Keya's clothes shop. Seeing the desk Keya stands at, her kind face with gentle wrinkles, the lines of dresses waiting to be tried on, all brings back a rush of deja-vu. I can almost see in my mind that night, when I first came here. I picked out a dress, dried off, and met my first Bailewood elf besides Knox. It's a refreshing feeling to be in here, similar to that of revisiting your first school years after leaving it.

"Mia," Keya greets me, surprise and joy clear in her voice. Her smile is as bright as when I first met her, and she grabs my hands in a welcoming gesture. "It's lovely to see you again."

"You too," I say genuinely. This is a great distraction from the whole Knox situation. I smile at the women before glancing around the shop. I only see dresses here.

"Looking for armor?" Keya asks, as perceptive as any elf would be. I nod.

"Yes. I don't suppose you have any...?"

Keya waves her hands in a dismissive gesture and laughs. "Of course I have armor! Come." With that, she leads me to the changing rooms, in an alcove in the corner of the store, by a blazing fire. The memories of that first day sink into me like the warmth from the flames.

I remember being awed at the fact that there was a fire inside a tree. I can picture Knox settling down onto the couch while Keya handed me a pile of dresses. I had picked the green one.

As I sit in the dressing room now, with a few sets of armor Keya gave me a moment before, I recall the feeling of the fabric of the dress I chose, the way it seemed to seamlessly fit me. I remember the way Knox looked at me when I first came out- like he had never seen me before. His words had hesitated. At the time I didn't think twice about it.

Stop, I tell myself. I need to focus.

With that, I spend the next half an hour trying on armor, having Keya adjust it, then trying on another set. Most sets are white, with gold engravings. Keya says the color changes depending on the forest- since it's winter, all the soldiers will wear white to blend better into the snowy landscape.

Most sets include a chest plate with shoulder coverings and leg coverings. They're surprisingly comfortable, as I discover as I walk around the shop. A few other elves are in the store too, most also buying armor. I guess they're all preparing for war too.

It touches my mind briefly that I have armor in my closet back home- I pause my thoughts at the word home, but decide not to linger on it in fear of what that might entail- but I'd rather buy something from Keya, of probably the best quality.

Or I just really wanted something to keep my mind off the circumstances.

"Wow," I breathe as I look at myself in the mirror. I'm wearing a set that's white, of course, with gold stitching that attaches the armor to chainmail to that goes all the way down my arms. Gold swirls and patterns run neatly across the chest plate and down the legs. I'm not surprised that it fits me perfectly. The chest plate bumps out at the right places, but is snug enough to feel protective. It's surprisingly lightweight, and I move my limbs around a bit to test out how flexible it is. I look like a soldier. Or a warrior.

"It's beautiful on you," Keya says kindly, her eyes meeting mine. She must know I'm not just buying this for show. I wonder if she's surprised, a halfblood who hasn't even had half a year's worth of training going into battle. I guess I could say I'm a little surprised at myself too.

I turn to her and smile right back. "I'll take it."

-

It's not hard to find Halion. I go to the training arena, and when he's not there I try the pool. When I walk into the steamy room, I see him doing backstrokes across the length of the pool, head back and eyes closed.