Submission (#1898) Approved

Regional Affinity: Strynhalde
Elnin: ELN1266
1385 words
Submission #1

Note: CrystalBerri said I could include Atlas in this prompt so he's making a little cameo XD; I don't think Velia'd be traveling that far alone in miasma season.

The Tree Unlike The Others

 

Velia had travelled quite a bit, but her first visit to Strynhalde was quite the unique shock. She’d heard stories from the others in the caravan about ice and snow and bigger ice, but she hadn’t been warned of the cold. Were she thinking about it, she might have realized the cold temperature had been implied. But instead she sat scrunched next to one of the adults, body blanketed by her ears, shivering like never before. Her teeth chattering and her body quivering she wondered if it was anywhere close to what a bee felt buzzing.

 

“Is it like this here all the time??” Velia blurted incredulously to her traveling partner--a rather warm adult with blue fur and stars who’s name she couldn’t remember. Atlas, she think it was.

 

“Yeah, it gets pretty cold! It’s the only place that has snow, you know,” Atlas chimed happily. She didn’t know if he was immune to the cold or just used to it. He probably had some adulty way of dealing with it that she wasn’t aware of. She couldn’t wait until she was old enough to ignore weather conditions.

 

“How much farther?” Velia whined, peeking out from her ears and over the side of the caravan, eyes and mouth instantly agape when she noticed the shimmering white landscape. Just the view reminded her why she bothered to come so far out. Firstly, to see the snow, and to make and return with ‘The Most Prettiest-er Lovely-est Lantern’ ever.

 

Last time she made lanterns with Oliver, it was certainly pretty but less than desired. And her fellow kittom ended up making fun of it for the rest of the day. But this time.... This time will be different--

 

“We’re here.” Atlas interrupted her thoughts, poking her on the forehead with a large black paw before turning to help an older nin to leap gracefully to the ground. 

 

Quickly, Velia found out why he hadn’t made a sound with his landing--the cold snow cushioned it. The touch made her nearly leap back into the carriage. “What the f--”

 

“Language,” Atlas scolded, frowning for the first time since they started the trip--a new record for an adult in Velia’s company. “Yes, you get used to the snow after a while. I’ve been here a couple of times, so just stick close and you’ll be fine. And be particularly careful of the ice, OK?”

 

Resigned and still a bit upset at the snow Velia nodded, padding quietly after him as they headed into town.

 

The walk wasn’t very long, but it felt way longer. The trees were all frozen into place, with icicles dangling on some as though they were the perfect replacement for the leaves that should have been there. Somehow, Velia felt vaguely… insulted. Trees were her favorite part of any adventure, and here the trees seemed dead and stiff and frozen. It was like looking like an army of arboreal zombies that refused to sway or swish or comfort her with any sound at all.

 

Though her ears were pinned back because of the cold, she felt like they would have slipped backwards anyway as she began to regret coming. The guilt felt even worse, knowing that there were many Elnin that proudly called Strynhalde home.  It probably had its merits, but Velia was certain she wouldn’t be coming to live here any time soon.

 

In town, many merchants claimed to have the best materials for lantern making. So much of it was pretty, even if Velia struggled to make sense of some of it. Shimmering things made of glass that she supposed were supposed to copy the icicle things she’d seen earlier. If she had her pomu yet, she would have considered it, but then again how was she supposed to know what her pomu would like? 

 

Yet another layer of dejection settled on her. 

 

At this point, she was looking to make a prettiest-er lantern for no one, really. Last year, though he made fun of her, Oliver stressed that it wasn’t a competition--instead it was supposed about making a pretty, safe, and functional home for their pomu to rest in. As far as she knew, Oliver had gotten his Pomu already. And though he didn’t brag about it, Velia found herself jealous each and every one of the few time he mentioned it.

 

And she didn’t have one of her own yet.

 

Velia stopped walking, causing Atlas to stop as well. Though he gave and inquisitive tilt of his head, he continued browsing the wears, probably assuming she was just lost in thought. But when he noticed the tears welling in her eyes he dropped what he was holding and ran over in a panic.

 

“Woah woah woah, what’s wrong?” He questioned, as Velia hiccuped around her tears.

 

“It’s… cold… and… I-- I want to go home. I don’t like it here.” Velia said. “I don’t have a pomu, so why bother making a lantern? I made one last time thinking one would show up and it didn’t. Why should I…”

 

She could tell that Atlas didn’t know how to comfort her. Velia didn’t even know if she could be… but even in the cold air it felt good to let out some of her frustration. “I bet Taiki’s going to get his soon. What if I never get one?”

 

“You’re just being impati--”

 

“What if I was supposed to get one but it got lost? What if I’m the only one in our Lady Bug Club that doesn’t get one?”

 

“Velia!”

 

“What if-- what if…. What…” Velia trailed off, her eyes catching on something shimmering and bright just past the blue elnin in front of her. 

 

Ignoring his desperate cries she padded toward the focus of her interest. 

 

The massive Eldertree hadn’t crossed her mind on the way over, but now that she could see it, she wondered why she hadn’t sought it out before. It was different from the trees she was used to--it even seemed entirely different from the Eldertrees she’d seen before. The snow she hated on her paws seemed so ethereal and angelic on the Eldertree. The ice she couldn’t seem to wrap her head around made sense there, claiming its bark.

 

With her sobbing coming to a stop, she eventually found a spot to sit and watch the fuzzy leaves. Eventually her gaze fell to the shadows of the tree. If the tree had a pomu it would have been massive. 

 

“If I promise to be really nice to it… and to take it on all of my adventures… and make it nice things,” she closed her eyes, “would you give me a pomu, great tree?”

 

She knew it didn’t work that way, but it was her wish… that she could have a pomu to keep her company and to spoil. Velia knew it was something every Elnin got eventually, but she’d been looking forward to hers for so long.

 

Just imagining it brought a small smile to her face. Would it be soft and fuzzy? She’d be able to touch it, right? It would probably help her home those times she lost track of time and wandered just a bit too far. And it would be understanding, so that when she made a lantern for it during the miasma times, it would always love what she made. They’d both go on adventures so often all the time that it would appreciate having a lantern covered with souvenirs, and maps, and plans for where they were going to go next. 

 

Wiping her face, she felt a little bit better.

 

There was no pomu there when she opened her eyes, but there was something white and fuzzy there.

 

A singular, fuzzy white leaf had landed in front of her. 

 

With a silent ‘thank you’ she scooped it up, giving a soft hiffle as she walked back toward where she abandoned Atlas. Hopefully her little tantrum hadn’t made him want to never chaperone her again. 

 

‘I’m going to put this as my finishing touch on my lantern,’ she decided. ‘And when my pomu does finally show, I’ll take them back here. We’ll always find a way to fit snow into our adventures. And I bet Oliver’s never been to Strynhalde.’