Chapter Text
Prologue
“I’m so sorry for intruding you, master Endellion, but… There has been an accident.”
That sentence flipped the elf’s world. He was awakened in the middle of the night by a changeling adventurer, one he knew but wasn’t particularly close to. The adventurer was holding a sleeping girl in her arms; he recognised her instantly and could see she was a little injured. He could see what type pf request he would receive, and it filled him with a lot of worry. He never really considered himself a caring type per se, but he had one specific weakness - his best friend, and the reason for his current situation, Gael.
They first met around ten years ago. Endellion already had a reputation in the tiny town of Papavero, considering that he was the only elf living there. He never liked being in his homeland, neither did he enjoy the hustle and bustle of bigger cities, which some elves found themselves drawn to. The Kingdom of Fiore was a small, but peaceful one, which meant he could practice magic and live a quiet life. Papavero was in dire need of a mage anyway, seeing how this seemingly unremarkable mountain town was often visited by adventurers looking for enchantments or remedies for magical afflictions during their quests. With a space to do his business and polish his craft, Endellion couldn’t ask for a more perfect life, as long as he wasn’t disturbed too often.
As luck would have it, one day his peaceful routine was disturbed by the arrival of a very specific young traveller. At this point in time the elf had met his fair share of reckless daredevils, each more bizarre than the last, but this one took the cake. The front door of his house swung open and he saw a tall man with roguish, quite torn up clothes, with numerous cuts and bruises (the nastiest one being on his right eye) and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Despite looking roughed up, he was showing Endellion a lovely beaming smile.
“Hi! I heard you’re the local mage!” He laughed. “I’m Gael and I, uh… I need some help here.”
Endellion found himself drawn to the young adventurer instantly, not necessarily in a romantic sense. He was fascinated by Gael’s nonchalance and chaotic attitude, and much to his own surprise enjoyed being given so much emotion. Over the years he accepted the fact that he anticipated Gael’s visits and didn’t even try to hide it. Every time they met they shared jokes and stories, cooked and ate meals together, the elf even let his friend help him prepare ingredients for enchantments; after patching him up each time of course. Endellion cherished these little moments a lot, a bit unsure of his feelings, but content with the state of things.
Once Gael proudly announced he was getting married to one of his teammates, a cleric named Isel, Endellion was happy, and he had no doubt about that, though he couldn’t help but feel a little heartbroken. He was worried he would become a liability or an obstacle for the two, and eventually end up abandoned by the only person he felt comfortable around. Despite that, he stayed friends with both of them, helped them settle down in Papavero, supported Isel through her pregnancy and later was a rock to Gael when he lost her to a sickness. It was clear that the adventuring days were over for him, and that his daughter, Lucia, was his highest priority. Although hesitant, Endellion helped Gael take care of the girl. He thought himself unworthy, but accepted the role of Lucia’s foster uncle.
And now his only friend, the cause of his many troubles, his most devoted customer and the source of unrequited affection, unintentionally gave him the most troublesome task and the greatest responsibility – to take care of his six year old girl while he recovered from his injuries. The changeling who brought Lucia told the elf that they had been attacked by some rogues on their way from a nearby town, where Gael had his business at the moment. He sustained serious injuries and was recovering at the nearby healer’s, but Lucia thankfully came out with a few scratches. I can’t do it on my own, Endellion thought, Not without him. But he thought of his friend. How right now he would’ve looked at him with hope and trust, like every single time when he would ask for a quick healing or for a free enchantment for his sword. Endellion felt his façade of a tough, no-nonsense mage melt away. After all, he loved the girl as if she was his family. He sighed tiredly.
“…Of course. Let me take care of her.”
Part 1 – Magical Self-Discoveries
A few days had passed since Lucia was brought to Endellion’s house. He noticed she was feeling uneasy without her dad around, and wasn’t her usual bubbly self. He couldn’t blame her, after all she experienced an attack and saw her father get gravely injured. He figured she simply needed some time to get used to their current situation so he didn’t pry or force any interactions.
Endellion was thinking the silent days would last longer until Lucia came up to him while he was working. At first he didn’t notice her, too busy with his work to bother with looking up from the enchanted blade he got commissioned.
“What are you doing, uncle Endie?” The girl finally asked.
As much as he loved Lucia, he loathed that nickname. However, he would never let his annoyance show. He started thinking how to give her a clear, understandable reply.
“Hmm… Dear, you know how sometimes travellers come over to my house, yes?” He asked, and after the girl nodded he continued. “These people do a lot of fighting. And sometimes their weapons need a, uh… A little magical help.”
“Huh. I think dad told me about that before. He showed me his enchanted knives too.”
Good. I don’t have a lot to explain then, Endellion thought with relief.
“Exactly. Sometimes I put on elemental spells on weapons, sometimes I make them last longer with magic-”
“Can you teach me how to do it?” She asked, smiling brightly.
The elf stopped his work and swiftly turned his head towards the girl. Magic wasn’t something one could just do with sheer will; it needed time to develop, and only in magically inclined people. Not to mention that for humans, such as Gael and Lucia, it was especially hard to master it. Then again, Lucia’s mother was born with a magic potential, so there was a possibility that the girl had inherited Isel’s power. On the other hand, she might not have had the connection to Isel’s deity. Endellion carefully weighed his options, all while he resumed etching a magic symbol on the sword’s handle.
“You know, my dear… That sounds like a good idea. Could you wait a bit for me to finish this blade?” He asked and watched Lucia’s smile grow wider and wider.
***
Endellion and Lucia were facing each other on the floor, seated comfortably on some pillows. The elf prepared a feather, ink and paper so he could write or draw anything he needed to illustrate his points better. The girl couldn’t hide her excitement; after all she was about to learn how to cast spells!
“Alright, Lucia. Let us begin with the basics, what do you know about magic?” The elf asked, with a refined attitude worthy of a mentor. His composure faltered slightly when he heard Lucia’s excited response:
“It lets you do all sorts of things, like fighting bad people! And putting on curses! And healing people who are injured! You can do anything you want!”
The elf has never been more offended as a mage. He didn’t let his disappointment show though, he wouldn’t want to discourage her.
“If only it was that simple,” he said finally. “But it is far more complicated than that. You see, magic requires a lot of practice and control over yourself,” he continued as he drew something on paper. “Some people are born with a lot of magical talent, and all they have to do is polish it. Others’ abilities are weaker, but they can still develop it through hard work. Magic also comes from deities and forces of nature. For example, you mom was born with magic, but she also had a patron deity who made her magic stronger.”
“Really?” The girl asked.
“Yes. To be honest, I think that you might have her magic potential,” the elf said, which made Lucia puff out her chest proudly. “Remember that even if you did, you need to learn to control your power, alright?”
“Alright!” She nodded excitedly.
“Brilliant. Let us focus on something easy for starters,” Endellion reached behind himself and placed two small flowerpots with dirt in them. “One of the first spells I was taught was making a flower bloom. It is easy enough, so I thought you might be able to do it too. I planted some pansy seeds there,” he explained, closed his eyes, and waved his hand on top of one of the pots, and soon enough a little pansy grew in a matter of seconds. “See? It is not anything hard.”
Lucia looked at her pot suspiciously. She examined it from top to bottom, and from every possible angle. “How do I do it?” She asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“First, take a few deep, slow breaths, like so,” he demonstrated, waiting for her to copy his breathing, which she did. “Very good, dear. Now close your eyes, and while you are still breathing, focus on the flower. Try to imagine what it would look like after it blooms.”
Lucia focused hard. The image of herself causing a cute little purple-white flower slowly emerging from the dirt and the perspective of seeing Endellion praising her made the corners of her mouth raise as she let out a little impish chuckle. She couldn’t wait for this scenario to come true!
“I think I’m ready, uncle!”
“Very well. Do not open your eyes yet, raise your hands and guide your vision through your hands to the seeds,” the elf said. Lucia tensed up and scrunched her face, focusing hard on the little flower. She felt something building up, like heat pooling right on her cheeks. She thought about the praise she was going to get from her uncle and her dad once he found out as well and-
Thwump!
“Lucia, are you alright?” Endellion yelled as he caught her. She didn’t realise the sensation building up was her holding her breath for too long; she must have been close to fainting. “Oh dear, let me get you some water…”
“Did I do it, uncle?” She exhaled with a dizzy little grin.
“Umm…” he glanced at the unchanged pot. “…Not particularly, dear,” he said and noticed her smile disappear in an instant. It must have meant a lot to her to do something as little as this. He thought for a bit and snapped his fingers once he thought of something. “But you do like drawing, right?”
“I do. Why?”
***
“…Very good. Now, just connect these lines and…”
Lucia didn’t even notice that she kept sticking her tongue out for the whole process of drawing. She looked at the scribble she made on the flowerpot; a diamond shape with a simple image of a flower inside.
“Very well done,” Endellion smiled. “This is called a sigil. Some beginner mages have trouble channelling magic through their thoughts so they use symbols like these instead. If drawn or carved correctly, a non-magic user can use the power of the symbol too.”
“Oh! Is that why you put symbols on adventurers’ weapons?” Lucia’s eyes sparkled.
“Exactly, dear, I am so happy you connected the two,” the elf smiled and the girl puffed up with pride. “Now let us see if your sigil is working,” he continued as they both turned their heads to the pot. Lucia’s symbol was a little crooked; after all it was her first time drawing on something else than paper. She gasped when she noticed the dirt make tiny movements and revealed a little leaf. The elf couldn’t hide his surprise either; though he had suspicions that Lucia had a magic potential.
“It’s growing!” The girl swiftly rose to her feet. “It’s growing, it’s growing!” She started hopping around.
“Amazing! Well done, my dear!” Endellion stood up too, took her in his arms and spun her around the room, making her laugh even more. They were celebrating like that for a short while until he realised what he was doing and stopped, feeling a bright red blush starting to paint his cheeks from embarrassment. He cleared his throat, gently put Lucia on the floor and added: “Eh-hem, yes. Yes, great job.”
“Teach me how to talk to mom’s deity next!” Lucia yelled, fully embracing the fact that she had magic and ready to kick off her mage or cleric career any moment.
“…I do not know how to do that…” He chuckled, scratching his cheek. “We should practice easier types of magic first,” he added and laughed a bit more when she crossed her arms and pouted mumbling “unfair, unfair” under her breath.
A few days later, once Lucia’s pansy finally bloomed in full, Endellion planted both flowers in front of his house. One day she will be a great mage, he thought to himself whenever he looked at them.
Part 2 – Rainy Day Reading
Many people in Papavero were of the opinion that rainy weather brought sad and wasteful days. Endellion didn’t share that view however; this kind of weather made it possible for him to focus on whatever old magical tomes or scrolls he was reading. He didn’t mind the cold that came with the rain either, he could always brew some tea or cover himself with a blanket to warm up. Just as he was doing at the moment, enjoying some lavender, black tea and lemon zest blend along with a novel for a change. He was following the exploits of a chronicler wrapped up in a courtly conspiracy-
“Uncle Endie, I’m bored,” his train of thought was interrupted by Lucia’s yawn and a tight hug she gave him.
“Lucia, dear, I do believe we bought some tomes with fairytales the other day. Why don’t you focus on those?” The elf asked, not looking up from his novel.
“I can’t read, uncle.”
That made Endellion stiffen up and close his book with a snap. He looked at the girl with shock, very much unusual to him. He was convinced Lucia would love these books based on how meticulously she chose each title. But maybe she was just looking at the pictures? That was the most possible explanation. Gael never taught her how to read?
“…Why didn’t you tell me at the bookstore?” He stuttered without thinking, not sure what else to say.
“I thought you would read them for me,” Lucia smiled sheepishly, looking him in the eyes with hope. Ah yes, the trademark family look she inherited from her dad.
“That won’t do, Lucia,” Endellion said as he gently released himself from her hug, stood up and started looking around his office for something. She watched his every movement carefully and couldn’t help but feel she might’ve made him upset this time, judging by the frown on his face as he was searching through the piles of books and knick knacks he had scattered around. The noise he made during his frantic search almost drowned out the gentle sound of rain pattering outside.
“AHA!” He gasped finally with a satisfied grin and started pulling something from behind one of the many bookshelves he owned; and after a while a huge blackboard finally revealed itself. Lucia was becoming more and more confused at Endellion’s sudden giddy attitude, who in the meantime was rummaging through various shelves. He finally came up to Lucia with some chalk.
“Sit down and focus, dear,” he smiled proudly as he came up to the blackboard. “Today I will teach you how to read.”
As he would find out, teaching her how to read would prove to be more difficult than teaching her magic.
***
By hour three Lucia was bored to tears; even more than when she came up to him with her initial request. She slowly started to regret starting the topic, while Endellion was passionately talking about the intricacies of the curvature present in the letter “B”; the second letter they managed to cover in this time. Lucia really liked her uncle’s voice though, and despite it already being late evening, herself being tired and bored, she listened. She listened and listened, her eyes slowly closing as she was drifting off…
“Lucia, pay attention!” The elf’s voice echoed in the room, instantly waking her up. He luckily didn’t sound upset. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m… I’m sorry, uncle,” she looked down.
“Goodness, I’m not mad. I just want to know why you fell asleep. Are you feeling ill?” Endellion’s expression softened, so Lucia felt herself relax once again.
“I just… I thought… I…” Her voice was becoming more and more quiet, until Endellion couldn’t hear anything.
“What is it, dear?” He asked gently so as not to scare her.
“…This is too difficult for me.”
Ah… So that was the issue. Because of his almost 150 years and noble upbringing, the elf sometimes forgot that humans were very much different from him. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to come up with a solution. What could he do to make studying easier for her?
“Can I go?” Lucia asked with a yawn as she was rubbing her eye, which made Endellion turn his gaze towards her. Only now it hit him how much he tired her.
“Oh. Oh, of course. Go and lay down, dear.”
“Thank you, uncle Endie. Sweet dreams…”
“Sleep well.”
After a moment he was left alone in his living room. He picked up a piece of cloth and started wiping the blackboard, bits of chalk dust filling the air. He started to focus on what to do with this issue that he inadvertently put himself in. He kept convincing himself that teaching Lucia how to read wasn’t a bad idea, but the execution wasn’t the best. What would appeal to a six year old girl? Hmm… Perhaps… Perhaps that could work.
***
The next day after a lonely breakfast, Lucia carefully tried to go back to her room. She didn’t want to hurt Endellion’s feelings, but she didn’t want to suffer through another part of his lecture either, especially since it was still raining outside. After all she knew that if the elf set his mind on something, he would push through until his task was completed; but deep down she was also hoping that he had got a new enchantment commission and was working on it. Her steps, in her mind, were quiet and careful, completely silent to the elf’s ears.
“Oh, good morning, Lucia.”
“Uuh… Good morning, uncle Endie,” she nodded. She noticed that the blackboard from yesterday was covered with a blanket.
“Could you come up here, please?” He asked with a wide smile and waved his hand in an inviting gesture. Lucia came up to him with a dose of caution, as she was sure that Endellion would continue with his elaborate lecture. He waited until she sat down to reveal what was on the board; one single word, which Lucia couldn’t recognise. “Today I want to teach you a word you will like for certain,” he began, and the girl could see he was a little nervous. “The word here is Lucia.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth opened without much thought. After a long moment of silence she asked: “That’s what my name looks like?” Endellion nodded in response, he couldn’t quite tell from the girl’s expression what she was feeling. “So… I think you showed me that last letter yesterday. That’s “A”, right?”
“Yes, dear, indeed!” The elf was beaming with pride. “This one at the very beginning, that’s an “L” and-” a loud gasp interrupted his explanation.
“WAIT! I think my dad’s name has an “L” too! Can you write it?” She asked smiling, and Endellion was happy to oblige. He took a piece of chalk and wrote down the name “Gael”. “Hey! Why is dad’s “L” different?”
“Well, that is because when we write names we start with big letters-”
“They can be big or small? Like people!?”
“Yes, Lucia, if you want to explain it like that,” Endellion chuckled happily. “This is a big “G” and this is a small “g”,” he wrote down both letters.
“And what does your name look like, uncle?” Lucia asked, fully engaged in the topic now. The elf wrote down his name as well, but once she saw the word she scowled. “It’s so long,” her disgust made Endellion snort, and shortly after burst out laughing.
“It is indeed, Lucia,” the elf nodded between small chuckles.
And so, for the next few hours of this rainy day, Lucia asked Endellion how to write different words and how to read them. At some point she brought one of the picture books they had bought the other day and practiced reading together, until the girl fell asleep on his lap. The elf himself found himself tired in a very satisfied and pleasant way. He thought about the lesson and how happy he was that this erratic stream of consciousness way of learning was appealing to his hyperactive little companion. He also let himself drift off to sleep, just as the clouds started parting away, revealing a lovely blue sky.
Part 3 – Day of the Blossom
Endellion and Lucia left the house for a stroll. They were chatting and enjoying the weather; the elf noticed that after the recent rains the fields and forests surrounding Papavero were somewhat greener, and the air was filled with a faint smell of flowers. While some flowers already bloomed here and there, there were mostly flower buds on shrubbery and trees, and he couldn’t wait to see the town fully fill with colours.
“Uncle Endie? Can we go eat something?” Lucia asked, changing the topic.
“Of course, dear.”
Papavero had one tavern ran by an older orc, Ursa, who proudly named it The Bear’s Paw. In the past she used to be an adventurer, but decided to settle in the town, and everyone welcomed her with open arms. Endellion was grateful for an establishment like this since, while he wasn’t a bad cook, he often got so lost in his work that he had a tendency to forget to feed himself. Ursa’s meals were delicious, in addition to the warm, welcoming atmosphere her tavern had.
“Oh! Welcome, welcome! Come on, take your seats!” Ursa beamed as they came inside; she was carrying empty plates and cups. As always, the tavern was almost filled with guests, but the elf managed to find a table for himself and Lucia. He looked around and noticed a change in décor; Ursa hanged colourful paper lanterns on the ceiling and vivid flower garlands adorned the walls. He didn’t pay much mind to it, and simply took it for a change of scenery.
***
“Would you like anything else?” A tabaxi boy, Ursa’s adopted son, asked when he was collecting Endellion and Lucia’s plates. The elf knew that he helped sometimes when he was free.
“Okay, Tou, why don’t I take over from here and you play with Lucia?” Ursa asked with a grin when she came over and took the dishes from Tou’s paws. The kids ran off, giggling and holding hands. Endellion watched them with unconcealed delight on his face, glad that Lucia came back to the peppy little girl he’d always known.
“Well then, maybe I could give you some tea? Or maybe something stronger?” The orc chuckled.
“Ah, it is too early for ale. I will gladly have some tea,” Endellion said. “By the way, I really like what you’ve done to the place.”
“Thank you! I had some trouble with those flower garlands, but luckily I have a merchant friend who got me some from the south.”
“Ooh, that really is fortunate. Tell me, is there any special occasion?”
Ursa’s smile disappeared, leaving her with a confused, blinking expression. The elf looked around the room once again, and then back to the orc. He did take notice of more families being around… But couldn’t figure out why Ursa seemed so disapproving of his question.
“Endellion… Please don’t tell me you forgot. Not when you’ve been living with Lucia for the past two weeks.”
“Um… Pardon me, but… What did I exactly forget about?” The elf asked, completely lost.
“The Day of the Blossom?” Ursa’s eyes went wide. Endellion blinked a few times, as if he was trying to recall what she was talking about. He finally gasped, and the corners of his mouth slowly rose.
“Oh, that’s right! It’s the middle of spring, and the Day of the Blo-” he stopped mid-sentence.
The Day of the Blossom. In the Kingdom of Fiore it was widely celebrated in honour of all children, right when the flowers were blooming. Children were given gifts, in more religious communities there were special blessings bestowed upon the little ones, and each town or city had a festivity planned for all families. Papavero was no different; year after year people danced and played with their children and took part in large feasts, and sometimes elaborate competitions with prizes.
How could he have forgotten?
How could he have forgotten?
It’s not as if he didn’t know about this festival, Gael did celebrate the holiday with Lucia every year. Not to mention Endellion lived in Papavero for the past seventy years. He simply didn’t bother because he had no children of his own; he had joined the townsfolk once or twice before, but couldn’t stay for too long because of the ruckus. That was no excuse for today, however.
“Ursa… When is it?” He asked, trying to mask his trembling voice.
“…Today.”
That was enough to make Endellion want to disappear three metres underground. He had no gift for Lucia, nor the intention of going to the festival, since he hated attending those. But for her sake…
“Forget about the tea,” he said as he stood up from his chair. “Would it be an issue if Lucia spent the afternoon with you and Tou?” He asked, trying not to show how nervous he felt about the situation.
“Not at all, Endellion! Do what you need to do,” Ursa said.
The elf gave her a thankful smile and headed for the door. On his way he asked Lucia to be nice to Ursa and Tou, and with newfound resolve he stepped outside.
***
“I am so sorry, master Endellion, but I cannot help you.”
The elf sighed, defeated. He was hoping that at least elderly Oswald’s toy shop would have something left, but as it turned out, everything had been sold out. The bookshop he took Lucia to was in the next town a day away, clothing shop was in the next city five days away, and honestly the toy shop was his last hope. Sadly, his hope died along with Oswald’s apologetic statement.
“Please, it is not your fault, sir. I was the one who forgot…” Endellion looked down.
“I wish I could help you, but I just don’t have the materials on me to make a new toy…” Oswald continued.
“No, no, no, I understand,” the elf smiled.
“Oswald, sweetheart, what’s the problem?” Their talk made Clara, Oswald’s wife, waddle over from the upper floor of the toy shop. “Did I hear something about materials?”
“Yes, dearie. Master Endellion is taking care of Lucia and he forgot about the Day of the Blossom, but we have no toys or materials…” Even though the old man didn’t mean anything bad, to Endellion that little sentence felt like he was kicking the elf when he was down. Clara however laughed gently, which surprised both men.
“Speak for yourself, honey,” she joked and beckoned the elf to come over. “Oswald, could you be so kind and brew us some tea? And please, Master Endellion, come with me.”
The elf nodded and followed the woman upstairs. He stepped into the couple’s cosy living room, full of old wooden furniture and little knick knacks and family mementos like old toys and family portraits. He was glad he wasn’t the only one living in a stylishly cluttered, old fashioned space.
“Tell me, have you ever made a handmade gift before?” The woman asked as she made herself comfortable in her armchair. He shook his head, quite certain that his sigils didn’t count as “gifts” per se. “But you’re a fast learner, aren’t you? Time to learn a new skill,” she said sweetly and put her hands in the basket standing next to her armchair. She pulled out two pairs of knitting needles and handed one over to him. He took a deep breath, relaxed, and listened intently.
***
The night was coming near, and the festivities were almost over. Some families were still celebrating and dancing around a large bonfire in the town square, among which were Ursa, Tou and Lucia. She refused to go back home, not until she danced with Endellion, like she did with her dad every year. Ursa was shortly running out of excuses for his extending absence and Tou, as much as he liked Lucia, wanted to go to bed, tired after the whole day. Suddenly they all heard rapid footsteps and a yell:
“Lucia, dear! I am so sorry to keep you waiting!”
“Uncle Endie!” The girl smiled brightly when she saw him. She noticed he was holding on tightly to a wooden box.
“We’ll leave you two alone. Good night!” Ursa grinned, took Tou’s paw and headed to her house. Endellion smiled at her and waved, already thinking how he would repay her kindness.
“What took you so long? You missed auntie Ursa beating every dad in an arm wrestling competition!” Lucia said, giggling in excitement and hopping around.
“That sure must have been fun to watch, I admit,” the elf chuckled, but his smile turned sad. He kneeled to get on her eye level and clutched the box tighter. “The truth is, I forgot about today’s holiday, and… I am sorry for that, dear. I am sorry that because of me you had to spend it alone,” he sighed. Lucia listened to him and tilted her head, puzzled. “I… Actually, I have a little something for you, and it is okay if you don’t like it,” he handed her the box.
“Thank you. Can I open it?” She smiled as she took it, and he nodded in response. She slowly opened the lid and squinted her eyes at the present, trying to figure out what it is. For now it looked to her like a piece of colourful cloth. She took it out of the box, unravelling the cloth and couldn’t help but let out a small gasp. It was a bandanna, a bit crooked and too big, but vibrant in colour and soft to the touch. She examined it carefully, keeping quiet for a longer while, with a curious sparkle in her eyes.
“Uh… I made it,” Endellion scratched his cheek nervously, not sure how to read her reaction. He felt embarrassed for having to explain himself to a six year old. “I wanted to make you a toy, but miss Clara from the toy shop scolded me and said it is too difficult for a beginner like me.”
“You made it, uncle Endie?” Lucia’s eyes looked like they were shining even more. “I love it!”
“Y-you do?”
“Mhm! You’re amazing! It’s like you can do anything! I love you so much!” She hugged Endellion tight and gave him a soft peck on the cheek, making him speechless. All the tension was leaving his body and he could feel himself loosening up with relief at seeing her bright smile. He returned the hug.
“Happy Day of the Blossom, Lucia,” he exhaled, the last bits of anxiousness fading away.
“Thank you, uncle! Can you put it on me, please?”
“Of course,” he said and tied the bandanna on top of her head. As he thought, she looked cute in it and the colours he had chosen fit her perfectly. He stood up slowly, still feeling a bit weak in the knees. “Now, my dear. May I have this dance?” He bowed and reached out his hand. Lucia giggled, took it and lead him to the bonfire, where they danced until late night hours.
Epilogue
“I had so much fun with uncle Endie, dad! He showed how to draw sigils, he took me shopping many times and he taught me how to read! And that pansies he has? I made one of them grow with magic!” Lucia’s excited chattering filled the living room in her and Gael’s house. He finally recovered enough to go back home, but still had a long way to go before he could go back to his regular life. “And look, look! He made me a bandanna!” Today she was wearing it around her waist like a belt.
“That’s great, sweetie. You look so pretty in it,” he chuckled weakly.
“Thank you! Oh, oh! Can I read you this fairytale? I practiced with uncle Endie a lot!”
“Hah, of course! Come over here,” he shuffled slowly and carefully on the bed, so as not to reopen his wounds. He made some space for the girl to snuggle up. Once she made herself comfortable, she started reading, making sure to be as accurate as possible, and Gael didn’t even once think about correcting her. Endellion, who was standing in the doorframe all this time, was listening as well, feeling proud of Lucia’s progress.
“Amazing job, Lucia! I need to get you more books so you can practice at home,” Gael cheered once the girl was finished.
“Really? Thank you, dad!” Lucia wanted to jump on him and hug him like she always had, but Endellion ran up to them both and caught the girl just in time. “Wha- Uncle Endie!” She pouted.
“I am sorry, dear, but your father’s injuries are still serious. You could hurt him if you’re not careful,” the elf explained in a serious, yet calm tone of voice. The girl’s expression changed from discontent to worry, and she lowered her head in shame.
“Endellion…” Gael sighed and turned to his daughter. “A small hug won’t hurt. Come over here,” he smiled and let Lucia hug him tightly. They stayed like that for a moment until he winced and slowly let go of the girl. He looked her in the eyes, in which he noticed a glimpse of worry. “Oh, don’t be sad, I’m okay,” he reassured her and brushed a loose lock of hair from her forehead. “Sweetheart, how about you go to your room? I think uncle Endellion should get something nice for taking care of you. Like a drawing, maybe?”
“Alright,” Lucia nodded, gave Gael a kiss on the cheek and ran off to her room humming a little tune. Once she closed the door to her room both men sighed deeply.
“Well,” the elf began, making himself comfortable in the armchair next to the bed, “shouldn’t you stay at the healer’s longer?”
“No, no. Even she had enough of me. “You’re too loud and energetic for someone in your condition,” she said,” Gael chuckled, and Endellion laughed a bit back. The man’s expression started softening when he watched his friend giggle in such a carefree manner. “Thank you, Endellion.”
“You have nothing to be thankful for.”
“I mean it. I’m glad you’re always there for us,” Gael insisted, and after a moment of silence from the, frankly surprised, elf, he continued. “I know I can be a handful. I’m a clumsy scatterbrain who can’t do things right and… Ehh… I’m just… I’m sorry for the trouble…” he exhaled and laid on the bed.
That was unusual to say the least. Endellion had never seen Gael look so… Defeated. It looked like his dear friend, who was always as peppy and cheerful as a ray of sunshine, had a more anxious side the elf wasn’t aware of, but was glad to find out about. He straightened up in the armchair and furrowed his eyebrows, showing a serious expression.
“Gael, you’re not a burden to me, if you’re worried about that. If you were, I would’ve chased you away years ago,” he said matter-of-factly, making Gael burst out laughing. “I am serious! I cannot stress how much time and effort I put into helping you! You have a peculiar talent for getting into all sorts of trouble!”
“I get it, I get it!” Gael said between waves of laughs. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he said to the elf, grinning widely: “I’m really thankful for that you’ve done for us.”
“…You’re most welcome,” Endellion nodded. His pride wouldn’t let him admit it out loud, but if it could, he would’ve added that he loved both Gael and Lucia and would do anything for them.
Little did he know that Gael didn’t need a verbal confirmation of that.