AVIS IN BETWEEN (Lesbian)

Part 25 (I) AVIS SAYS GOODBYE

"Come on in!" I answer hastily, and at the same time I decide which one of the books on magic to take with me. To my shame, I choose the one that weighs less.

The last few days have been spent in the "packing up mood" and blue, traveling atmosphere. I ran up and down the entire castle in search of a decent backpack, but found nothing: in the utility room on the ground floor there were beautiful white wood chests decorated with gold buckles and shiny stones. I wouldn't have had the strength to even lift the lid of such a heavy monster. Luckily for me, I noticed an efficient looking maid with a huge bunch of keys. The woman did not resemble an old mysterious keyholder lady, but she knew all the secret corners of Hare castle like the back of her hand. "Come with me, Mage Avis," she responded with no less businesslike voice and practically dragged me somewhere down below. I was convinced it was the dungeon where the prisoners were kept. I shared my concerns with her, but she assured me that they have been moved to special rooms outside the castle. "We don't need all the criminal rabble in the castle!"

In the small room, where the servants kept their belongings for work in the field or garden, there were many baggy backpacks, travel bags, flasks, and other camping and work accessories. I chose a small backpack with sturdy shoulder straps and a couple of other hiking trinkets. I knew that Kal and Zarya would also take a bunch of necessary things with them (the Eagle castle also sent the courier-messenger who brought us several artifacts), and I also knew that they would cast the same spells on the traveling items, the one that makes the chariots in the capital move by themselves. All my belongings have already been packed by 'mommies' and 'nannies', but with these things I would not have gone far alone, without magical or physical help. I needed things for an independent trip. "Take this warm jacket, mistress," the woman confidently puts it into my hands, "This is your favorite one," she pauses and looks at me with concern, "I know that you, as always, want to separate from the group, walk in the fields on your own, have some practice, look for all sorts of magic curiosities and bring small magical creatures to the palace, but I plead with you not to do it this time. Do not go far from Mage Kaleb and Mage Zarya. Times are dangerous, hectic! Even the waves on our almighty genetrix mistress Aella are muddy and fast. That's no good!" I nod and look at my feet. " Aella bless you, girl, whatever you decide. We people of Hare Rivulets will always wait for you!" She unexpectedly hugged me as if saying farewell and bowed low.

Knock, knock, knock...

"Come on in, please!" I turn my head and blow at the overgrown curly lock that is blocking my view. "Hi, Celandine, why aren't you coming in?" The door is wide open, but the guard is standing uncertainly on the threshold with a raised hand, clenched into a fist like a Japanese doll-cat maneki-neko with a beckoning paw.

"I can't," she says, somehow distressed.

"Oh, damn it! I completely forgot! I'm sorry..."

The spell that I put on the chamber turned out to be so solid that none of the castle mages were able to break it, no matter how hard they tried. So, my room, to the horror of the maids, was in a 'creative' mess, which has been intensified with travel arrangements and my disregard for the Avis' bedroom in general. Only Cygnie and I could come in and out... but she won't come to me anymore.

"Wait a minute," I straighten the folds of the blue tunic that female warlocks traditionally wear with the skinny pants, but I have started using it solely as a nightie or home shirt. I understand that Celandine is staring intently at my bare knees and thighs showing through the slits on the sides of the tunic, and her sweet ears are getting rosy again: her magical eyes emit a warm green light. I cover the slits with my palms: I'm embarrassed, for I'm not used to being the center of everyone's attention, not only because I am 'the famous mistress of the castle', but also because I'm the one that many find attractive and shamelessly want my body. "Thank you for coming!"

"I beg your pardon, mistress, for not being able to come as early as you ordered. The search spell took longer than I thought," the girl reports, biting her lower lip.

"Is there anything known about her?" I ask with fear and hope in my voice.

"Unfortunately, not, Mage Avis," Celandine replies as if happily.

"No publicity, I hope?" I ask, wrapping my arms around myself. "How is Cygnie's father feeling?"

"This scoundrel is still weak, but he seems to have enough sense to keep quiet! We have already taken care of this situation. I am amazed at your mercy, mistress! He tried to attack you! Just one word of yours and I will make him beg for death!"

"Celandine, please calm down, be quiet, I don't want us to be heard," I gently take her by the forearm, which makes her shiver and creates a half-veiled smile on her face. "Let's go over here; let's not talk in the hallway, okay?"

I take her into the first chamber we pass by. On the way I ask one of the maids to bring us something to eat: a servant girl stands in front of my chamber with an armful of clean linen for my bed and sighs looking at the mess and the impossibility of fixing it, and I'm deaf and blind to her misery.

Let the moss grow over this chamber. I won't see it again soon.

"Celandine, I actually invited you to apologize for my behavior!"

"I don't understand what you are talking about, mistress. You have nothing to apologize to me for! I will do anything for you," she responds passionately, her eyes sparkling even brighter.

"I shouldn't have asked you to do that sort of thing. I was convinced you would refuse. I'm sorry I wanted to use you to confirm my personal assumptions..."

"But I wanted, I mean, I'm not sure I would have done it right, but I really didn't mind!"

"Celandine, be quiet, please!" the girl's decisive tone confuses me. "I'll take it, thanks!" I resolutely yank the tray with some sweets out of the servant girl's hands, small and mousy looking girl. She is uncertainly peering into the chamber. "I'll do everything myself!" I say quickly: I surely do not want the child like servant girl to understand what the guard is talking about.

The maid looks at me in confusion, not expecting that I will serve the table myself.

Hell, you have to play with dolls and choose together with your friends what notebook to buy: with Barbie or My Little Pony on the cover, but definitely not to slave around with a heavy tray!

I place the tray on the table with a crash, dodging the guard's help like a stray bullet.

"I heard that you are heading on a mission," the guard says gingerly.

"It's impossible to keep anything secret here," I mutter, sitting down in a chair and waving the girl to sit down. "You must be hungry. Help yourself. You can eat everything."

It was lunchtime. Having talked to Kal, it began to constantly seem to me that the locals were not getting decent food. I myself have not had an appetite since the day I returned from the Eagle castle. Unfortunately, Celandine didn't seem to hear me:

"Mistress, I ask your permission to let me come with you. You know that I am a worthy and strong warrior, and I can protect you! I do not want you to disappear from my life again. During those two years I have been asking one question to myself: why wasn't I with you when you disappeared!? You were there for me and my family when we needed help, but I was not with you when you... if I were your bodyguard, I am sure that I could protect you during the mission!"

"I can't put you in danger by taking you on a mission as a cannon fodder!"

"I beg you to give me a chance, Mage Avis!" She drops to one knee and passionately takes my hands.

Her strong and warm hands that are holding mine, trembling and cool, are confusing me incredibly. The guard is making me feel feminine and weak, as if she deliberately took on masculine initiative, even our poses look classic. She is like a knight in leather armor, who fell on one knee in front of a beautiful lady to swear the eternal loyalty to her and eager to receive her blessing for a holy battle, and I am like that embarrassed indecisive virgin damsel who doesn't even understand what love is.

"I beg you, mistress..." Celandine repeats looking into my eyes. She lifts my hands to her luscious lips and kisses them.

"Celandine..."

"Awwww, so romantic!"