Chapter Text
Runaan had known Ethari most of his life. They grew up in Silvergrove at a similar age, and it’s not as if Silvergrove was that big a settlement that you didn’t get to know all the children your own age sooner or later.
But their paths were different, their interests didn’t overlap much, and so Runaan had barely ever taken much of an interest in the other elf when they were still children. He had spent his time with the friends who took his challenges to run and fight, to shoot the bow and scale trees. When he took up training to become an assassin, he worked even less with others who were not in the same training.
So, when he was supposed to get a first personalized weapon from Silvergrove’s weapons smith, it was the first time in years that he actually spoke to Ethari. Ethari, it seemed, had become the weapons smith’s apprentice, and so their paths would cross again in the future.
Ethari’s master and Runaan’s instructor had moved on to other topics once the measurements were taken and the details of Runaan’s sword were discussed. Runaan’s instructor motioned him to stay with Ethari, and the adults left the room.
Runaan was still watching Ethari, taking in how the elf had grown since they last met, when the other was the first to speak.
“Hallo, Runaan. We didn’t meet in a long time.”
“Yes. I was busy, and you were too, it seems. So… how do you like the smithy?”
Ethari smiled an easy smile, Runaan remembered him to be a good-natured fellow.
"I like it just fine. You know I would never have made a good warrior, and even worse of a mage. I like working with my hands. I can create all kinds of things! Beautiful, useful or deadly."
It was probably the first time Runaan really spoke to Ethari properly. And he was enchanted by the way Ethari spoke of his work, he had a gleam in his eyes, he made it sound just the way Runaan felt when he first managed to master an especially tricky move in swordfighting.
"It sounds a lot more interesting when you talk about it. I think I would hate being indoors most of the time."
Ethari laughed. "You were always running around, I'm not surprised you took up training to be an assassin. So, is it what you wanted?"
"It's hard work, but I'm glad to do it. I learned so much already!"
"And you got even more muscles."
Runaan wasn't sure he was supposed to hear that comment of Ethari's, and when he looked into Ethari's face, the other one blushed and looked to the side, obviously embarrassed.
"You… like my muscles?"
"Forget I said anything, please."
Runaan didn't ask again, and after a short awkward pause, they were saved by their respective instructor's calls. But Runaan did not forget that comment. It stirred something inside him. Something he had never quite felt before, not like this.
—
Only days after that time in the smithy, Runaan saw Ethari again. Silvergrove came together to celebrate the festival of Lugn, a day for reunions with family and friends as well as new unions - often couples would choose this festival for their marriages. Tables were set out outside so everyone could meet their family and friends with plenty of space, and everyone brought homemade food for a big buffet. It was the loudest festival Moonshadow elves celebrated, and it started in the evening and often went all night long. Runaan arrived late, he had tried a new style of braiding and it had gone wrong, so he had taken far longer to prepare than anticipated. But he was nearly an adult now, and for the first time in his life he actually wanted to look good and maybe… attractive for the festival. The whole of Silvergrove was there, and some elves from other parts of Xadia. Silvergrove was a close-knit community, but they had always had elite fighters come from the village, who joined the Dragon Guard or took up bodyguard duties all over Xadia. When you went that far away alone, you had to make other friends, and some of these friendships held even when the Moonshadow elves returned home.
Runaan's parents waved at him to come over. He went to them, sitting down at their table. None of them had any siblings, and his grandparents had been dead for a few years, so they were a small family. They made up for it with friends, some of them assassins and fighters like Runaan’s father was, some who knew his mother from her work at weaving cloth, since they were customers or colleagues. Since most of his parents’ friends did not have children or their children were already grown up, Runaan’s parents had become the focusing point in the past years. It would probably change, now that Runaan was becoming an adult and no longer reliant on his parents.
He greeted everyone, from elderly Garjane, who had been his mother’s patron since she first offered her services, to Ularian, who was an assassin like Runaan’s father and sometimes instructor to Runaan, now that he was in training himself. His mother commented on his hair – he had switched to a style he had done before after his botched attempt, but he took extra care to make it look neat.
“The hair’s the reason you took longer, isn’t it, Runaan? Want to impress someone?”
Runaan shook his head.
“No, I just wanted to look my best today. It’s a festival after all.”
She smiled and praised his braiding, but the conversation soon strayed to all kinds of topics.
When Runaan let his gaze wander over the other tables around them, he noticed Ethari sitting two tables further. He was laughing, surrounded by what seemed to be his family – a younger sibling next to him, their parents across. Two elderly elves were also at the table, probably grandparents. They seemed happy, and Ethari radiated a kind of happiness that held Runaan’s attention.
While Runaan still looked at Ethari, the other youth turned his head and looked right back at Runaan. And as he noticed that Runaan was looking at him, he smiled that easy, happy smile again and raised his hand to wave at Runaan. Runaan waved back automatically. Then, Ethari's little sister demanded his attention again, and their little shared moment was over.
Runaan focused on his family again, and it was a beautiful night. Ularian was full of praise for Runaan's progress in training, which motivated a rare praise from Runaan's father. His mother was in her element with all the people around her, always being a sociable elf.
When his parents' friends moved to meet other friends around the clearing, Runaan also moved to get up.
"You want to go meet your friends, Runaan? Then go off! Your father and I will find a way to occupy ourselves just fine!"
Runaan didn't need further encouragement. He moved to the table of Tiadrin, a girl who was a year ahead of him in assassin training. Another boy from assassin training was next to her already, he was her age and named Lain. Runaan had his suspicions about them maybe being more than friends, but it would be immensely impolite to pry or assume.
Tiadrin greeted him with warmth, she was immensely competent and Runaan respected her a lot. She was often asked by the instructors to show new moves for everyone to imitate. Lain was a very dutiful young man, he worked very hard, while a lot of things came easier to Tiadrin. They had taken to Runaan as soon as he joined the training, showing him little tricks they had picked up, and they had become friends this way. Soon, they were talking about maneuvers and weapons, which made Tiadrin's parents roll their eyes and take off to meet their own friends. "You children obviously don't need your parents while you're talking shop. We'll be off!"
They were deep into an argument about the advantages of swords versus daggers when Tiadrin suddenly broke off. "Oh, hey, Ethari! Come here, join us!"
"I don't want to interrupt you."
"Nonsense, Ethari. Come on, you are a blacksmith, you can tell Runaan why a sword is better than a dagger any day!"
"I'm a blacksmith's apprentice, and a sword and a dagger both have their place in a fight. They're just different."
"But the sword's better!"
"It's not!" - Runaan would not give up this fight easily.
Lain laughed. "Come sit with us, Ethari, while those two hardheads fight it out. You know Runaan, don't you?"
"We met just last week, Runaan got measured for his dagger."
Runaan felt compelled to include Ethari in their conversation as soon as the other boy had sat down. He didn't concede to any of Tiadrin's arguments, but he did steer the topic to what Ethari and Lain had started talking about. Ethari was telling them about what his first independent assignments had been, and how he liked doing ornaments out of scrap parts in the workshop. He showed a necklace to Tiadrin when she asked to see, and Runaan was fascinated.
It was beautiful, a delicate pattern engraved into the metal. "It's beautiful!", he couldn't stop himself from exclaiming.
Ethari looked at him with a shy kind of pride in his eyes. "Thank you, Runaan."
They talked about a lot of things that night, and Runaan really got to know Ethari for the first time. Tiadrin knew him well since childhood since they were cousins once removed, and since they were only a year apart, their parents had met up often for the children's sake. Ethari liked Junberries, had been forbidden pets by his parents after bringing home a Moon Phoenix at age 4 and could barely keep his fingers still for five minutes - he was constantly touching either his clothes or his jewelry or other elves.
Runaan couldn't name anyone about whom he knew as much from just one night spent talking. And he was pretty sure he had just fallen head over heels for the soft-spoken blacksmith's apprentice.