[1723] – Y07.223 – A Festival In Our Hearts III (Patreon)

The sun swept over the Iyr, its rays basking the land in its gentle warmth, for the last rays of noonval were already kissed by the chill of duskval. As the rays fell, a man and woman, adorned in their robes, traversed through the long, wide, clear roads of the place that was called the Front Iyr.

As they settled themselves in one corner, upon the outer rim of the Front Iyr, where it was quietest, they poured themselves tea, and holding onto their cups, they caught one another’s eyes for a moment, and then sipped.

“It is good tea.”

“It’s white moon,” Adam replied, as though the woman didn’t know that, and as the two sipped it, they allowed the gentle flavour of coldness fill their mouths. It was a gentle taste, the taste of the sensation of licking a smooth ice cube, with the ghost of vanilla. The liquid was almost clear, save for the tea leaves, which emanated a clearness even within the water.

“Although I enjoy this festival, I feel it is always so loud and noisy, and the heat of the food, of the cooking, of the flavours, it’s all so…” The woman motioned with her hands around her head.

‘My wife being so goofy is hot,’ Adam thought, though she was not so goofy, though even a touch of goofiness was so much for Vonda. As he reached over to run a finger along the side of her cuff, he snapped a loose thread, reaching over to tickle her cheek with it, before throwing it away, allowing the wind to claim it.

As the two enjoyed their time alone, their children taken by their family, the children’s grandmother and greatparents, along with their various aunts and uncles, they basked in the silence. Adam tilted his head slightly, for as he slid his boot forward, he found his wife had already brought her own forward, their ankles pressing together gently.

As they sipped their tea, the two reached over to clasp one another’s hands, and it was she who felt how rough his hands had become, while Adam felt how rough her hands remained, their thumbs brushing along the backs of their hands.

“I’m sorry. It seems I’m going to end up working again so much this year.”

“I will speak with Jirot.”

Adam choked on his laugh, the half elf smiling wide, winking towards his wife. “Thank you, as always, darling.”

As he held his wife’s hand, their fingers intertwined, and once they finished their tea, they stood, and this time walked a little closer beside one another, enjoying the warm wind upon their skin, and the sun high above their heads, causing their shadows to grow smaller.

Vonda squeezed Adam’s hand, and as she brought it up to point towards something, she tapped the back of his hand lightly with her free hand. Adam was acutely aware of the action, though Vonda hadn’t noticed it, in the same that she noted whenever he rubbed his cheek with the back of his index finger, and this time, since his right hand was preoccupied, his thumb.

“When it’s duskval, I suppose we’ll have to plant the duskval fruits and vegetables, and then the nightval fruits and vegetables too…” Adam mused, rubbing the side of his nose with the back of his thumb lightly, calming the itch.

“You will have to plant the with the children, otherwise…” Vonda began, her warning flowing deep into his heart.

“I wonder if we’re going to be doing any tree planting this festival. They’ve changed a lot in the Iyr since we’ve been here. Apparently, this sort of thing is rare, although, I remember…” Adam decided not to mention the Year of Silence when Elder Story had apparently left the Iyr for the first time. He was certain the Great Elder must have left the Iyr now and again, although, the Iyr didn’t really lie about that sort of thing, and thinking back onto the word that the Iyr had closed its gates, and had barely allowed him to step out, he considered the gravity of the event once more. ‘I wonder if Elder Story will step out for the Reavers too.’

“What is so funny?” Vonda asked, holding Adam’s hand up, half swinging it with each step.

“I just thought, what if Elder Story goes to fight the Reavers.”

“I think the Iyrmen would complain for they would mourn the hunt.”

“That’s true. Although, when it comes to Elder Story, would they have such courage?”

“That depends on how Iyrmanly the Iyrmen are.”

“They are rather Iyrmanly, aren’t they?”

“Many of them,” Vonda agreed, and as they approached the small park, they settled themselves against the pale green, which would soon turn brown and red, and as Vonda began to sit, Adam wrapped an arm around her waist, and as though he was a member of the Rot family, half lifted her up to place her on his lap. She glared at him, her cheeks rosy, though she did not make to step off, and though his arm remained wrapped around her waist, she could overpower him, for he would not dare to resist.

“I should have taken you out to more dates,” Adam said, as a ladybug floated between them, and his eyes followed it, they returned to his wife’s scarlet lips.

“I shall pray the Mother blesses us with long lives.”

“I’ll speak with Baktu,” Adam joked, as his wife’s eyes narrowed, and as he leaned in to distract her, she turned her head, and the two fought, dodging and weaving with their heads, until finally Adam kissed her earlobe, spotting the fading hole. “Are you not allowed to wear jewellery as a Ray?”

“I prefer not to, not that I am a Ray.”

“Why’s that?”

“I should not be distracted by the material world.”

“Don’t be telling that to the Queen of Pop.” Adam’s shoulders started to sway. “We’re living in a material world, and I am a material girl, you know that we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.”

“You’re a material boy.”

“Yeah, but I’m an elf.”

“Ah.”

“You know, I’m beginning to realise that I know so many songs, but only by their choruses. Chorusi?”

“Choruses.”

“This is the chorus of our discontent.”

“What?”

“No. That’s not right.” Adam furrowed his brows.

Vonda wondered how her husband’s mind worked, as the half elf continued to fall into his thoughts, and yet his arms pulled her in closer.

As the sweet, floral scent jolted Adam back to the real world, he quickly pulled his arms away.

“What…” Vonda began, but seeing Adam’s eyebrows desperately rising towards the heavens, she smirked, but as he tilted his head, as if daring her to remain, she quickly stood, bracing herself upon his shoulders, and though she had forced most of her strength through her thighs, she felt the way his arms flexed as he grabbed her thighs, completely innocently to assist his wife in standing, but at the same time, his brows remained raised to the heavens, and he quickly hopped to his feet, and he inhaled sharply.

‘That was close,’ Adam thought. ‘Having a beautiful wife is so difficult.’

“Having a foolish husband is difficult,” Vonda returned.

“A man’s mind is his castle.”

“You are my man.”

Adam flushed, and withdrew slightly, suddenly a sheep before the wolf.