Returning Home
Laron was behind the counter of Master Wernin's shop. It would soon be dark and he was cleaning up as he prepared to close. Behind him the bell on the door jingled as a late customer arrived. Laron turned to greet the customer and was stunned into silence.
‘Naya.’ Laron thought excitedly. After eight long years, Naya had returned. Laron watched as she approached the counter. She was thin, almost gaunt. He could see that her journey had not been easy. Her sandy blond hair was pulled back with a simple leather tie. Her blue eyes no longer reminded him of a clear sky. There were shadows of pain in her gaze.
She looked so different from the girl who had disappeared when she was eighteen. This woman looked hardened by her experiences, travel weary. He had known that she was restless when he had taken his apprenticeship, but the day she had disappeared had been very painful even though he had been expecting it. There had been no word from her. She had gone out one day for a run and, as the day drew to a close, had kept on running.
"Naya..." he whispered.
Startled, Naya looked into the darkened corner behind the counter. She had not seen Laron standing there. The relief she felt when she saw him was nearly overwhelming. He looked astounded. She smiled. She did not realize how her smile transformed her face. Suddenly, Laron could see the girl he had known, in this hard looking woman who stood in front of him.
Naya laughed delightedly as Laron came around the counter and swept her right off her feet in a tight hug. He spun her round and round in his excitement.
"Put me down you big oaf. You are making me dizzy." Naya laughed helplessly as Laron slowly stopped spinning.
"I have been waiting so long for you to come back. When you didn’t show up after my apprenticeship I got a little worried about you, but I knew eventually you would come." He said as he set her back on her feet.
"I was not sure that I would still find you here, Laron. This was where I was going to begin my search for you. I thought when a wizard's apprenticeship was over he had to go out and find a place that needed him. He couldn't stay with his master."
"I refused to leave. I knew that you would find your way back to me eventually. Master Wernin threw me out on my ear like a proper Wizard should, but I still would not leave Ishli. I did not break my oaths. I have not used a single speck of magic for three years. Master Wernin finally allowed me to come run his shop. For three years he has been able to concentrate on research. The Wizards Council was appalled. They tried to strip me of my title of Master Wizard, but since I did not break my oaths, they failed." Laron related his tale stoically.
"How difficult it must be, Laron, to not be able to use your magic. I am so sorry. Why did you stay and subject yourself to that kind of torture." Naya was dismayed by Laron's story.
"This is where you had left me, Naya, and this is where I had to be when you came back. I know what you searched for. I see that you have not yet found your clan. I knew you were coming back after my apprenticeship. I was afraid that if I went wandering, you would not be able to find me."
Tears slowly welled up in Naya's eyes and fell down her cheeks. Laron was right. He was family to her. The only family she had. Three years ago when his apprenticeship was soon to be over, she had begun her return. War and upheaval in distant lands had kept her from her goal.
"I must say though, Naya," he said with sudden cheer as he wiped the tears from her face, "I did expect you much sooner than this."
Naya laughed suddenly at his good humor. It was good to be back.
"Did you come straight here, or did you find an inn first?" Laron asked.
"You still know me too well, Laron." Naya grinned. "I am staying at the Carriage House by the north gate."
Ishli was a small city, but it was a border town. A very tall thick wall surrounded Ishli. There were only two ways into the city, by North Gate or South Gate. The border had been a peaceful place now for well over a century. Ishli had begun to spread beyond its gates. Now there was the inner city, and the outer city.
"Excellent choice. The Carriage House is very respectable, and very pricey. How did you manage that?” Laron asked.
“I actually worked Laron. Paid wages. Me.” Naya said in a theatrical voice.
“You, working? I would have paid good money to see that.” He chuckled. “There are some things that I need to do if I am going to be able to leave Ishli tomorrow. I will meet you for breakfast in the morning and we can stop by the market on our way out of town."
"Where are we going?" Naya asked taken aback.
"Going? Why to search for your clan." Laron glanced at Naya in surprise. "You are not going to be happy until you discover your past, and I am not letting you out of my sight again."
Naya chuckled. "It's so good to see you again Laron. I have missed you."
"I missed you also Naya. It has been difficult these past years without you to share with." Laron's voice was choked with emotion. "Now off with you. I have a lot to do if I am going to be ready in the morning. I need to go speak with Master Wernin."
Naya smiled warmly at Laron. "Alright, I will see you tomorrow morning." She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek then turned and went back out the door.
Back at the Carriage House, Naya picked at her supper. She had found a quiet corner of the common room where the bustle and noise did not interrupt her musings. Seeing Laron again after all these years had been wonderful. Naya only had a vague notion of the rules and oaths wizards must follow. She did not understand why Laron had been unable to use magic when he refused to leave Ishli. Naya did understand what not using magic meant to Laron. Magic had always flowed through him freely. It was his nature. Containing such magic for three years so that not even a speck would escape? She would not have thought him capable of such control.
Naya grimaced at herself. Maybe that was not a fair thought. She remembered the boy Laron used to be. Wild and unpredictable, his magic had manifested itself at the most inopportune times. He caused havoc and disarray wherever he traveled. The man before her today was much different.
Seeing the man of today, and not the boy of yesteryears, had shown Naya how much she also had changed. That was the real reason she was in such a contemplative mood. She pushed her food restlessly around the plate, eating very little of it. She faced some hard truths about herself tonight. She had always pushed away such thoughts. She had kept them hidden, buried very deep. Tonight she excavated deep into her buried pain. Leaving Laron eight years ago had been...difficult. But the need to find her past had been very strong. She had searched for her clan. Not finding them after so many years was painful. She felt like she had failed in an important task. Oh, in her mind, Naya knew that her feelings were unfounded. However, her heart often did not follow her mind.
Naya had not realized how lost she had become until tonight. Without her mother or Laron as an anchor, Naya had withdrawn into herself. She felt rejected by her clan, a clan who did not even know she existed. With each defeat, each trail that led to a dead end, Naya had slowly given up. Something she was not accustomed to doing.
'And maybe', Naya thought to herself, 'that was why I had not found them.' She had not believed she would. That night Naya looked deep into herself to see and understand what she truly wanted.
At daybreak the next morning Naya woke refreshed. She felt lighter than she had in a very long time. She gathered her few belongings and went down to the common room to await Laron. Naya had only been seated a few minutes when Laron swept into the inn. Naya studied him as he approached her. He was tall, a lot taller than she remembered. He was no longer a lanky boy. He had filled out quite nicely. His thick black hair was short, contrary to the more popular longer style at the moment. Energy was fairly bursting from him in waves. He looked good. Laron grinned when he spotted her.
'This is what has been missing,' she thought. This peaceful feeling she found in Laron's company. It did not matter what the future was going to bring. With Laron by her side, she could face anything.
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This is my entry for LJ Idol: Exhibit B. This week's topic was one of three. I chose Finding Serenity.
‘Naya.’ Laron thought excitedly. After eight long years, Naya had returned. Laron watched as she approached the counter. She was thin, almost gaunt. He could see that her journey had not been easy. Her sandy blond hair was pulled back with a simple leather tie. Her blue eyes no longer reminded him of a clear sky. There were shadows of pain in her gaze.
She looked so different from the girl who had disappeared when she was eighteen. This woman looked hardened by her experiences, travel weary. He had known that she was restless when he had taken his apprenticeship, but the day she had disappeared had been very painful even though he had been expecting it. There had been no word from her. She had gone out one day for a run and, as the day drew to a close, had kept on running.
"Naya..." he whispered.
Startled, Naya looked into the darkened corner behind the counter. She had not seen Laron standing there. The relief she felt when she saw him was nearly overwhelming. He looked astounded. She smiled. She did not realize how her smile transformed her face. Suddenly, Laron could see the girl he had known, in this hard looking woman who stood in front of him.
Naya laughed delightedly as Laron came around the counter and swept her right off her feet in a tight hug. He spun her round and round in his excitement.
"Put me down you big oaf. You are making me dizzy." Naya laughed helplessly as Laron slowly stopped spinning.
"I have been waiting so long for you to come back. When you didn’t show up after my apprenticeship I got a little worried about you, but I knew eventually you would come." He said as he set her back on her feet.
"I was not sure that I would still find you here, Laron. This was where I was going to begin my search for you. I thought when a wizard's apprenticeship was over he had to go out and find a place that needed him. He couldn't stay with his master."
"I refused to leave. I knew that you would find your way back to me eventually. Master Wernin threw me out on my ear like a proper Wizard should, but I still would not leave Ishli. I did not break my oaths. I have not used a single speck of magic for three years. Master Wernin finally allowed me to come run his shop. For three years he has been able to concentrate on research. The Wizards Council was appalled. They tried to strip me of my title of Master Wizard, but since I did not break my oaths, they failed." Laron related his tale stoically.
"How difficult it must be, Laron, to not be able to use your magic. I am so sorry. Why did you stay and subject yourself to that kind of torture." Naya was dismayed by Laron's story.
"This is where you had left me, Naya, and this is where I had to be when you came back. I know what you searched for. I see that you have not yet found your clan. I knew you were coming back after my apprenticeship. I was afraid that if I went wandering, you would not be able to find me."
Tears slowly welled up in Naya's eyes and fell down her cheeks. Laron was right. He was family to her. The only family she had. Three years ago when his apprenticeship was soon to be over, she had begun her return. War and upheaval in distant lands had kept her from her goal.
"I must say though, Naya," he said with sudden cheer as he wiped the tears from her face, "I did expect you much sooner than this."
Naya laughed suddenly at his good humor. It was good to be back.
"Did you come straight here, or did you find an inn first?" Laron asked.
"You still know me too well, Laron." Naya grinned. "I am staying at the Carriage House by the north gate."
Ishli was a small city, but it was a border town. A very tall thick wall surrounded Ishli. There were only two ways into the city, by North Gate or South Gate. The border had been a peaceful place now for well over a century. Ishli had begun to spread beyond its gates. Now there was the inner city, and the outer city.
"Excellent choice. The Carriage House is very respectable, and very pricey. How did you manage that?” Laron asked.
“I actually worked Laron. Paid wages. Me.” Naya said in a theatrical voice.
“You, working? I would have paid good money to see that.” He chuckled. “There are some things that I need to do if I am going to be able to leave Ishli tomorrow. I will meet you for breakfast in the morning and we can stop by the market on our way out of town."
"Where are we going?" Naya asked taken aback.
"Going? Why to search for your clan." Laron glanced at Naya in surprise. "You are not going to be happy until you discover your past, and I am not letting you out of my sight again."
Naya chuckled. "It's so good to see you again Laron. I have missed you."
"I missed you also Naya. It has been difficult these past years without you to share with." Laron's voice was choked with emotion. "Now off with you. I have a lot to do if I am going to be ready in the morning. I need to go speak with Master Wernin."
Naya smiled warmly at Laron. "Alright, I will see you tomorrow morning." She gave him a quick kiss on his cheek then turned and went back out the door.
Back at the Carriage House, Naya picked at her supper. She had found a quiet corner of the common room where the bustle and noise did not interrupt her musings. Seeing Laron again after all these years had been wonderful. Naya only had a vague notion of the rules and oaths wizards must follow. She did not understand why Laron had been unable to use magic when he refused to leave Ishli. Naya did understand what not using magic meant to Laron. Magic had always flowed through him freely. It was his nature. Containing such magic for three years so that not even a speck would escape? She would not have thought him capable of such control.
Naya grimaced at herself. Maybe that was not a fair thought. She remembered the boy Laron used to be. Wild and unpredictable, his magic had manifested itself at the most inopportune times. He caused havoc and disarray wherever he traveled. The man before her today was much different.
Seeing the man of today, and not the boy of yesteryears, had shown Naya how much she also had changed. That was the real reason she was in such a contemplative mood. She pushed her food restlessly around the plate, eating very little of it. She faced some hard truths about herself tonight. She had always pushed away such thoughts. She had kept them hidden, buried very deep. Tonight she excavated deep into her buried pain. Leaving Laron eight years ago had been...difficult. But the need to find her past had been very strong. She had searched for her clan. Not finding them after so many years was painful. She felt like she had failed in an important task. Oh, in her mind, Naya knew that her feelings were unfounded. However, her heart often did not follow her mind.
Naya had not realized how lost she had become until tonight. Without her mother or Laron as an anchor, Naya had withdrawn into herself. She felt rejected by her clan, a clan who did not even know she existed. With each defeat, each trail that led to a dead end, Naya had slowly given up. Something she was not accustomed to doing.
'And maybe', Naya thought to herself, 'that was why I had not found them.' She had not believed she would. That night Naya looked deep into herself to see and understand what she truly wanted.
At daybreak the next morning Naya woke refreshed. She felt lighter than she had in a very long time. She gathered her few belongings and went down to the common room to await Laron. Naya had only been seated a few minutes when Laron swept into the inn. Naya studied him as he approached her. He was tall, a lot taller than she remembered. He was no longer a lanky boy. He had filled out quite nicely. His thick black hair was short, contrary to the more popular longer style at the moment. Energy was fairly bursting from him in waves. He looked good. Laron grinned when he spotted her.
'This is what has been missing,' she thought. This peaceful feeling she found in Laron's company. It did not matter what the future was going to bring. With Laron by her side, she could face anything.
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This is my entry for LJ Idol: Exhibit B. This week's topic was one of three. I chose Finding Serenity.