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Just in time for Winter Maiden, Earwen had received a little box from someone not present in the Hiram mountains. To guess who it came from wasn’t too difficult, as there wasn't anyone on Nuia who would think of her during the cold month of sharing. Her own mother probably had forgotten all about her.
The only other person who wasn’t travelling with her that was still communicating thanks to owls was Ardios. Although he was a new acquaintance, somehow, he seemed to think of her as a friend. He had already gifted her that little sapphire stone on a whim a few weeks earlier, and now something for Winter Maiden. Earwen thought she really needed to give something back to him. But what? They barely knew each other, and she had no idea what he might like or not.
The Elf shook her head, and opened the package. Inside, she found a note and a bracelet. She recognised Ardios’ handwriting at a single glance. Not because she had been re-reading his previous letter on repeat, but rather because it looked a little uncanny. It looked quite rough, almost as if he’d been fighting with the pen. She wondered if he wasn’t used to writing in the Elven language, and would normally use Nuia’s common tongue instead?
She put the letter down after reading it. More news about his research on the Ipnyas on Aegis Island. It unfortunately didn’t sound like he was making much progress, but at least he wasn’t losing hope or interest. She seized the bracelet and looked at it closely. It was made of many little seashells, and given the energy they emitted, they were likely to be from that mysterious island too. It was quite apparent that Ardios would have crafted it himself, too. Earwen tried to slide it on her wrist; it fit perfectly, somehow. She was so amazed she couldn’t take her eyes away from the shiny, iridescent little shells.
She was so mesmerised that she did not hear the deep Dwarven song of the hairy Dwarf Watchman who had come to sing his blessings to her.