Submission (#3606) Approved

Word count: 1,353
AP: Belmoril
Elnin AP is for: Aisling - https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN706
Other elnin: Deryn - https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN2648

There is a huge Harvest Festival in Bellmoril after the final harvest of the year. Each city and village gets decked out in the colours of the sunset and brings out the choicest offering of the year in a way to celebrate the bounty. Aisling was asked to help out with some of the decorations while they were staying within Il'durahn and so spent the morning with Deryn helping set things up!

      The golden streets were even more bright and yellow than usual on this sunny autumn morning. Aisling had gotten up early because she had promised to help festoon the center court of the market place in exchange for room and board. The kittoms had been running amok as usual so she excused herself a little earlier than planned to gather up supplies and take them to the center of the city. Walking through the narrow streets, the leaves of the golden trees rustling in the warm breeze, Aisling took a long deep breath. She could smell the harvest coming in already, the smell of cut foliage wafting through the city. Surrounded by fields, the Harvest Festival in Bellmoril was probably the most important and would be held over the next two weeks. Reaching a crossroads, the purple elnin took the right street and almost ran into the one she had been looking for. Bees floated lazily around the grey-coloured nin, her fluff recently brushed. 

     "Oh hello!" She uttered brightly with a friendly smile. "You are Deryn right? I had been instructed to come here as you have the..." She paused as she noticed the stack of boxes behind the beekeeper and waves a paw at them. "Yes, those boxes." 

     Deryn nodded in agreement, mirroring the smile. "These would be those. I am assuming you will need some help carrying them to the center market place?" The grey elnin turned to pick up the first box before handing it over to Aisling. "They arn't very heavy but can be a bit bulky."

     Grabbing the box carefully out of the other's hand, she hefted it a few times. "I see what you mean. Well, weight isn't an issue for me but if you are here to help in the same task we might as well work together." Aisling gestured towards the box in her arms with her chin, "Go ahead and add on the other box, I can easily manage both and you can bring the third." She took a moment to balance the second box comfortably before turning back to the crossroads, this time going streight through. "It's been a while since I have been back here but I am happy that we made it in time for the Festival." She knew this was the time when everyone took out their best products and treats, partially to compete in friendly rivalries, and partially to show off a little of the year's productivity. "What are you looking forward to the most?"

     Taking a moment to consider as she navigated between some woven birch trees into a more open area of the street, Deryn chuckled lightly, "Mostly I have my honey stand but I do hope to play violin during the evenings." One ear twitched as a bee decided to sit amongst the longer tufts of fur of the tip but she paid it no mind. "I have been practicing a few new songs, one is that popular dance people have been doing recently."

     This made Aisling laugh, "You mean the one where you wiggle your hips around and then hop like a bunny rabbit?" She had caught the kittoms trying to practice it the other day which had amused her greatly. "That does look like a fun dance." At the grey nin's agreement she attempted to make a wiggle before realizing any hops might dismount the boxes she was carrying; the dancing could wait for the evening. They reached the main courtyard and placed the boxes in a safe corner before opening them up and taking a peek inside. Piles of ribbons were rolled into neat stacks in one box, colours of yellow, reds, and oranges with a few pinks in between. A second box was filled with rosettes and bows, each with a spot to hold a small bouquet of flowers. Aisling remembered seeing the lamp posts covered in ribbons and flowers the previous year and quickly surmised what the next step would be. "Ready to set up to work? Is there a ladder somewhere around here?"

     Deryn managed to rustle up a ladder and they started hanging up the ribbons, grouping the reds and oranges together they took care of the signage first, leaving the pinks and golds for the lampposts that surrounded the marketplace. Each section got a small array of bows and rosettes, ready to hold the floral attachments that would come later. The golden birch trees and large oak trees were also festooned with smaller ribbons, bells attached to these so that each tree jingled when the wind came through. 

     By the time they were complete, the sun was already high in the sky. Aisling drew a paw across her forehead and took a deep breath. She shrugged her shoulders and stretched her arms, trying to get feeling back into her upper torso. "I could do with a drink, how about you?" The purple nin grinned over towards her partner of the day who was pinning the last pink rosette to a notice board. "Know of any good places to go around here?"

     "I just might..." The grey elnin smiled and picked up the empty boxes they had folded up to store for later. "There is a small café around the corner which I supply the honey to. I am sure they would be welcome to the business." She carried the boxes to the side where the other extra supplies were being held and then lead Aisling towards a small shop front with tables and chairs surrounding a pretty purple, windowed door that stood out against the white walls covered in green ivy. After showing Aisling a good place to sit, Deryn greeted the tea-seller inside and ordered two drinks for the both of them. 

     Aisling leaned back, watching the other elnin walk by as she admired the quaint view. She had always liked the look of the thatched roofs and white walls with the darker, wooden structural beams. It seemed 'homey' to her, though she was at home pretty much anywhere. Of all the places she had been, Bellmoril felt more like a warm hug by the fireplace, simple yet welcoming. When Deryn returned with the drinks she took a look at the milky liquid and took a sniff, smelling the crisp sweetness. "So what is this?" she asked with curiosity.

     The grey nin smiled as she sat down with her own drink, "A specialty here, it's strawberry honey milk." Deryn took the straw and stirred her own glass, the ice clinking against the sides. "When I have extra honey, I usually trade it for things here as they love to use it in honey milk. Last time I got a whole bushel of tea leaves!" She took a long sip before nodding towards Aisling's glass. "Feel free to tell me what you think."

     Following Deryn's lead, she took the straw and stirred the drink a few times, watching the strawberry pieces float up into the milk before starting to settle back down. She placed the glass to her lips and tasted the sweetness before taking a large gulp. The refreshing cold felt good in contrast to the warmer day and she could feel the honey upon her tongue. "It is quite delicious, I might need to see if I can take some with me to let the kittoms try it too." She glanced over towards Deryn with a smile, "If you have the recipe, I would love to snag it from you." 

     "How about when the festival ends you can come and see me. I'll have some honeycakes and a few jars of honey you can take with you on the road." The grey nin answered Aisling's smile with one of her own. "I appreciate you coming to help out with setting up with the Festival, usually it takes all day to get all those ribbons up and we managed to do it in just the morning. Now I can get a little more violin practice in before the evening rolls around." 

     Aisling nodded and finished her drink. "That would be splendid. I'll look forward to this evening!"