The Tale of Sky Blue

[Tuinor]

“Where are we going, Aevor?” Aisha asked nervously as they continued down a path that had detoured from the main road just outside of the city gates. Once again, the enigmatic Aevor refused to answer. Aisha grew increasingly frustrated at him, and when it became clear that once again he would not answer her she darted forward into his path, effectively halting the silent elf.
“I said, ‘Where are we going, Aevor?’!” she shouted.
“Move out of my way, Aisha,” Aevor replied calmly.
“No, I will not!” she said, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re…”
“We’re not lost,” he said assuredly, “if that’s what you were about to say.”
“No,” she objected, “that’s not it at all. I’m well aware you know where we are, but I also know for certain that we’re heading east, not south. Archalace is reached by following the main roads or by one of our secret trails, but this road…” and with this she jabbed a finger at the solid figure of Aevor, “… you’re leading us into the wilderness.”
“It’s less likely we’ll avoid detection if we avoid the known routes to Archalace,” he stated.
“That’s not it,” she said, glancing over at Sky with concern. Whispering, she said, “To the east lie the lands of the Ferals, and, worse still, the…”
“You do realize that he can hear you,” Aevor said with a grin.
“That doesn’t matter, Aevor!” she said, raising her voice to a shout.
Suddenly, Sky pushed past the two elves and stood facing down the trail and away from them.
“You know, I don’t need you two sheltering me,” he stated flatly.
“Of course you don’t,” Aevor said with a grin at Aisha, “you passed the Test; however, some seem to forget this.”
“I remember well enough,” she said bitterly, “but besting you or me is one thing, it is another to face a…”
“We won’t be confronted by one of them,” Aevor assured, “you can relax.”
At this, Sky turned to face his companions.
“Stop interrupting her, Aevor,” he said.
Aisha glanced with confusion at Sky, not knowing why he had suddenly taken up for her.
“You’re hiding something from me,” Sky continued, “and I’ve had just about enough of that kind of thing. I told you to stop sheltering me. That means from knowing stuff that may scare me or something. I’m not scared. I want to know.”
“Very well,” Aevor said, and with his consent, Aisha calmed considerably. Aevor turned, and, finding a large tree that had fallen to the side of their path, he took a seat.
“What she speaks of,” said he, “are two perils that lie on the path before us. The first are the Feral Elves which she mentioned earlier, and the second are the Feints. Which would you like to know of first, Sky?”
The way Aevor spoke reminded Sky of lessons he had received from the Master long ago, and he found himself sitting cross-legged on the ground before Aevor.
“Go ahead in the order you mentioned them,” Sky said.
“Very well,” Aevor replied. “You may take a seat, Aisha, if you wish. Go ahead and rest your feet.”
Aisha consented and sat down beside Sky. For a second the two of them locked gazes, and Sky could somehow sense that she did, in fact, care about him. He turned away from her, not letting the confusion on his face show.
“Now,” said Aevor with a grin as everyone became situated, “about the Ferals…”