Submission (#2822) Approved

Aelin blinked over and over, making a weak attempt at clearing his view.  The night of Silveil had fallen sooner than he had expected as he travelled from his childhood home in Bellmoril to the great city.  Taking in a deep, calming breath, he glanced around himself, trying to make out anything that seemed familiar or at least a little comforting.  Standing at the very edge of the city, he saw only harsh, bright lights, which blinded him more than the darkness he had travelled through to arrive here.  Holding in a helpless whine, he thought back to where he had come from, searching for a little bit of solace.

His parents had fussed and fretted over him leaving for weeks, rushing around their quaint little farmhouse nestled among his family’s gardens and vines.  They packed bags on top of bags full of supplies, maps, and various other items that would aid him on his journey.  The kittom remembered rolling his eyes at their antics, but now, he was comforted by the amount of care they had shown in preparing him for his first time leaving his home region.  Of course, he would never have been able to carry all of the items they were forcing on him, so he picked and chose what he could fit in his small pack: bits of food, a tinderbox, a small waterskin, bandages (just in case, his parents had said), all of his measly allowance, which he had been saving for an entire year, and a tiny charm his father had carved out of wood for him when he was an infant.

He pulled this charm out of his bag, softly stroking its smooth surface as he reminisced on how his first toy, this tiny wooden bird, had brought him a great amount of joy and clarity.  Aelin never left home without it.

Turning his attention back to the present, he focused on the task at hand: to gather the components for the most incredible costume for Feyhallow.  He was sure to show up all of his friends with his extraordinary idea for this year, if he could find exactly what he was looking for.  Everybody knew, or at least all of his friends knew, that Silveil City held the best costume items among its large marketplaces and merchandise stalls.

He looked back at his travelling companion, an old family friend who was travelling to Silveil City in order to find a buyer for his wares, which were fine leather goods.

“Go on now,” his friend muttered, flicking his tail irritably, “Go find what you are looking for and meet me back at the ferry when you are done.”

As worry began to overwhelm Aelin at the thought of being alone in the large city, his family friend seemed to see it in his bright, tangerine eyes.  He sighed and added softly, “I will not leave without you.  If you are not back in an hour, I will go looking for you.”  Snorting loudly, he threw up his head and turned on his heel to leave.  “Your parents would kill me if I lost you here.”

Flicking his tail uncertainly, Aelin watched as his family friend ducked into the crowd, and he lost sight of him nearly immediately.  Blinking once more, he tried to get a good look of the street in front of him, but the bright lights and crowded stalls blurred his vision once again, and he realized he would need to get closer if he were to find what he was looking for.  Steeling himself, the Kittom slid between the crowd, moving at a quick pace.  He paused near each stall, and when he realized they did not have what he wanted, moved swiftly on.

Eventually, he took a turn into an alleyway.  Here, the harsh lights seemed to fade and the crowd thinned.  Aelin found it strange but did not question it, as the stalls here were easier to look through, and he was almost out of time.  He was beginning to grow discouraged.  None of the merchants he had seen looked to be selling what he desperately required.  Finally, near the end of the alley, he heard someone call out.

“Hey!  You there!  Child!”

Aelin sucked in a breath and froze.  Praying that they did not mean him.

“You!  With the orange eyes!  Over here!”

Mentally cursing, he turned his gaze to an Elnin thrusting his way through the crowd to reach him.  Dread filled his paws with lead, and he stood there, helpless, as the unknown female approached.

“Are you lost?  Why are you out here alone?” she questioned, lowering her voice in response to his visible fearful reaction.  “Where are your parents?”

Aelin could do nothing but stutter, “N-No, not l-lost…With f-friend…L-looking for someth-thing…”

The kindness in the Elnin’s eyes faded to quiet fury.  “Where is this friend, huh?  I would like to give them a piece of my mind.  Children should not be left alone in Silveil City, do you know how dangerous it is?” she tutted, craning her neck to search as if she would be able to recognize his companion.

“L-looking for s-something…” was all he could say as he dropped his gaze to his paws.  There went all of his plans.  His friends back home would never let him hear the end of it if they heard what was happening here.  Worst of all, his perfect Feyhallow costume would never come to fruition.

“Hmph.  Did your friend say where he was going?” she inquired, turning back to look at him after realizing her search was pointless.

“…supposed to m-meet at the ferry…”

“Then that is where we go,” she spoke definitively, wrapping her tail around the light-colored Kittom and leading him away.

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An argument ensued at the ferry dock, one that raged long enough for Aelin to slip silently away.  He still had a mission to complete, after all.

Gathering some courage, Aelin approached the nearest stall, one he had not been able to inspect well as he rushed past earlier.  There, a short merchant was straining to look over his large pile of wares, spread out across a short table and carpets on the ground.  He eyed Aelin as he approached, flicking an ear as a friendly greeting before asking in a gravelly voice, “Ya lookin’ for somethin’?”

Finally finding someone friendly and willing enough to help, Aelin revealed his incredible idea.

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Racing to his room after finally returning home from his mission, he spread out his supplies and his mother’s sewing kit and got right to work.  He cut, sewed, and painted all night and into the early morning, only leaving his room when his parents called him away for dinner.

Finally, his costume was completed, and he could not wait to brag to all of his friends.

Rushing down the stairs, he nearly tripped over his long, wavy cape, revealing his greatest achievement to his parents: his bioluminescent sea slug costume, complete with shining face paint.