Enriel gave him a strange look, but did not argue. “Alright,” she sighed, turning to Korik. “Come with me, then.”
Korik nodded, but watched with uncertainty as Varen and Alwyn started heading up the widest road. He still felt wary of Alwyn, but he supposed the sorcerer wouldn’t do anything untoward to Varen in broad daylight on a major path just below the castle.
He turned his horse to follow Enriel, who led him further into the city. It was early enough in the evening that the streets were still bustling with elves. Many of them watched him as he passed, but it was mostly looks of surprise and curiosity, or at least he hoped so. None seemed outwardly hostile, at the very least. He didn’t notice any other elves on horseback either, which only made them stand out even more.
“Ourlodgings,” Enriel repeated after a moment, catching his attention as she chuckled. “I don’t know why he called it that. We’ll be staying with our aunt and uncle for a few days, before my aunt accompanies me to our parents’ home.”
Korik nodded, but now felt much more uncomfortable. There, he would be much more of an intruder, anoutsider, than he had been even at the Trisfiel estate. She must have seen the worry cross over his face, as she added quickly,
“Don’t worry, they know you’re coming with us. Everything will be fine.”
He nodded again, hoping she was right.
The home was on the far side of the city from the gate where they’d entered, so even on horseback, the last rays of the sun were disappearing behind the horizon by the time they arrived. Enriel stopped in front of a large home with a sprawling yard—most of the dwellings in this part of the city were larger and more spread out than those closer to the gate—and she hopped off of her horse, gesturing for Korik to do the same. He dismounted and followed her into the yard, leading the horses behind them.
The front door opened before they got close enough to knock, and an elven woman stepped out. Like most elves, it was difficult to judge her age just from her appearance; but Enriel perked up as she appeared, so Korik assumed it was her aunt. The woman smiled, stepping out into the garden, seemingly unphased by Korik’s presence.
“Enriel!” the woman fussed, as Enriel dismounted her horse. The older elf embraced her as she stepped closer. Now that they were next to each other, Korik could more clearly see the family resemblance: they had the same raven hair and similar smiles. “I’m so glad to see you. We were so worried when you and your brother didn’t arrive on time. Is everything alright?”
Enriel glanced over at Korik, smiling apologetically. “It’s a long story, but we’re all okay now. Aunt Laena, this is Korik, the healer traveling with us. Korik, this is my Aunt Laena.”
Korik dismounted his horse and bowed his head stiffly, unsure of how formal he needed to be. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
To his surprise, Laena stepped toward him and placed a hand on his arm—not squeezing, but her hand was warm and firm against his skin.
“Thank you so much for looking after her. Both of them. Allthreeof them, even,” she said. “Varen wrote that you were the very healer who helped our Prince Taegan with his own child, and I almost couldn’t believe it. You honor us with your presence.”
Korik flushed, unsure of how to respond. After a beat, he stammered, “Er, I’m—I’m happy to help.”
The elf woman’s eyes crinkled with a smile, for the first time betraying the only sign of age on her face—though for an elf, lines around the eyes could indicate she was anywhere from sixty to a hundred and sixty, as far as Korik could tell.
“Let me help with the horses,” Laena said, stepping away from him. “We have space for them in the back. I’ll show you. I’ll make sure Beren brushes and feeds them before it gets too late.”
She took the reins of Enriel’s horse and gestured for them to follow, leading them on a stone path and around to the other side of the house. There were no horses of their own, it seemed; but behind the house was an open area with several trees, a small pond, and a grassy patch with a paddock.
When the horses were set up with food and water, Laena took them back around to the front of the house, and they stepped inside. The elven home was made of a warm golden-toned wood that suffused the space, giving it all a honeyed glow. The door opened straight into a large room with several chairs set about a soft rug, and further back was a small kitchen where Korik could see that an elven man was cooking. Like Laena, his age was all but impossible to determine, but his neatly groomed facial hair was a surprise that made him appear older.
He seemed of heartier stock than most elves Korik had seen. He was tall for an elf with a broad chest and thick limbs; and for a beat, Korik thought he might have actually been a human until he saw the pointed tips of his ears. But they had a more blunted, short quality than the longer, elegant swoops of other elf ears he’d seen—a half elf, Korik realized, which were not terribly uncommon.
The man smiled as they entered, set down his cooking tools, and wiped his hands with a cloth before stepping over to them.
“Hello, dearest,” he said warmly, as he approached Enriel and pulled her into a hug. “I hope there wasn’t any trouble. Your aunt and I were worried.”
“There was a bit of trouble,” Enriel admitted, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “But once Varen gets here, I’ll let him tell the story. We’re all okay now, though.”
“The baby too?” he asked, brows furrowing with concern.
“Baby too,” Enriel laughed. “Healer Korik made sure of it.”
The man’s eyes landed on Korik, and he smiled again, bowing his head politely.
“Thank you for joining us today, Healer Korik, and for taking care of our niece,” he said. “I’m Beren. Please make yourself comfortable while in our home.”
“Thank you,” Korik replied stiffly, bowing his head.
“Come sit down,” Laena offered, gesturing to the chairs. “I’ll get you both some tea. I’m sure you must be tired. Do you know when Varen will get here?”
Chapter Eleven
