Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

An unexpected call (II)

Gjaki appeared in the attic of Goldmi and Elendnas' house. Immediately, she opened the hatch and jumped out. There was a ladder, but she didn't need it, and it was faster that way. Gravity caused the hatch to close.

As soon as she landed, two small beings pounced on her. Although she could have dodged them, she simply hugged them and scooped them up into her arms.

""Aunt Gjaki!"" the two exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You little naughty... Maybe I should bite you?" she threatened.

"Nooooo! Daddy! Aunt Gjaki wants to bite us!" Gjami yelled.

"Save us!" Eldmi asked.

Elendnas looked up at the floor above and shrugged, though a smile spread across his face. Although he didn't expect Gjaki to come today, she was more than welcome, and his daughters adored her.

"Maybe, you're not plump enough to bite, but I'm going to punish you anyway," the vampiress threatened again.

"No... Ha, ha... Stop...! Ha, ha... Not tickling!"

"Ha, ha, ha... I surrender...! Ha ha..."

Not long after, she released the twin daughters of Goldmi and Elendnas. They sat on the floor, recovering. Though they didn't take long to hold Gjaki's hands.

"Aunt Gjaki, have you made them?"

"Let us see them."

The vampiress smiled. They were too cute.

"I let you try them on later. First, I have to talk to your mother. She has called me for something. Where's she?"

"I don't know. She's been out for a while. She hasn't taken us..." the younger sister answered, even if she was younger only for ten minutes.

"Oh! Look! She's here!" the older one pointed out.

Gjaki turned to see the door open, and the familiar face of the elf archer appear. Nonetheless, that wasn't what left her breathless for a few moments, stunned.

Goldmi was leaning on Elendnas, both of them on the sofa, while looking at her daughters taking a peaceful nap. Her eyes were closing when something rushed through the door.

"Aunt Omi! Aunt Omi! Babies say see him! You have to come!" the fairy exclaimed, held one of the elf's fingers, and pulled it.

Goldmi didn't understand anything, except that Pikshbxgra wanted her to see something that the "Babies" had told her. That is, the spirits of the forest. She couldn't help but let the little fairy pull her, which caused Elendnas to open his eyes. The elf was half asleep, with the warmth of his wife on one side, and his daughters on the other.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Pikgra wants to show me something, I'll be right back," she assured him.

"Don't take long. Otherwise, they'll wake up, and you'll have to hear them complain because you didn't take them with you," he whispered, smiling.

She smiled back at him. It was something that still made him skip a beat. Elves fall in love for life.

She left the house and entered the forest, following the fairy. As always, she seemed to be in a hurry, excited about something. The last time, it had been the blooming of a precious flower that appeared every hundred years. Actually, it was much somewhat common, but it wasn't easy to discover it. The flower only lasted a few hours, and the cocoon remained hidden among the leaves until then. The whole village had come to see it. She wondered what it would be this time.

She wasn't surprised when, after taking just a few steps, her feline sister appeared. The lynx used to walk through the woods after eating, as long as the girls didn't decide to sleep on her.

She also felt that her sister winged was crossing the sky above them. Whenever she went out, they joined her.

She felt a little guilty. Her decision to stay with Elendnas had put an end to their adventures, to level up, to discover the world with them. However, they didn't blame her. Especially, if she put in an extra slice of dessert.

Like Goldmi, they had barely aged. Not only were they magical beings, but the sisters were linked to each other in a much more intimate way than they imagined. Their lives were intertwined.

"This way, the Babies say it's close. This way. He has a large thing made of wood and metal in his hands," the fairy communicated the information from the spirits.

Goldmi frowned. That meant the intruder was armed, and could be dangerous.

The lynx circled around to approach from another angle, while the elf raised her bow and nocked an arrow to it. Detect Life had discovered something, and it was no weaker than her.

She peered intently in the direction the spell indicated, and moved closer. Finally, she discovered a silhouette half hidden by branches and leaves. He was humanoid.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she called, while aiming at him.

That silhouette turned towards her, which showed her then clearly his face, partly thanks to Hawkeye. It was a skill that her winged sister had complained about on some occasion, because she considered that it should be called Goshawkeye.

Her surprise was so great that the arrow with which she was aiming, with the bow drawn, escaped her grasp. It headed directly towards him. Panicking, she quickly used Curved Shot to change the trajectory, so the arrow buried just inches from him.

The lynx had also jumped at him, but more than to attack him, to save him. However, she stopped after realizing that her sister had regained control. She wasn't surprised by what had happened. She herself was astonished.

In fact, even the goshawk Plummeted, and perched on a nearby branch, as the elf hurried over. They all had recognized him, as they had fought alongside him on many occasions.

"Eldi? Is it really you? This... I'm sorry... The arrow slipped..." she confessed between embarrassed, astonished and excited.

After so long, perhaps eighty years since she had arrived, she had given up all hope of ever seeing him again, of him coming back too.

"Goldmi..." he stared at her with his mouth open.

When the Oracle had suggested that direction, he hadn't even imagined that what he was going to find was his former companion, his former friend.

Goldmi made the bow disappear, went to him and hugged him, tears in her eyes, though smiling. He was paralyzed for a moment, not knowing what to do. Although, it didn't take long for a smile to appear on his lips as well, his eyes moistened, and he returned the hug. He was as surprised as happy. Eldi had thought a lot about his companions, he had missed them a lot. Being able to meet one of them was a dream come true.