Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD

No other

Ithel

I sneaked inside the den again and went to where he usually sleeps. I kneeled down to hold the leather cloth that he lies on. I felt it under my fingers and sighed.

It's been a few hours already. Maybe he wasn't coming back now. Did Alev take him hunting? He looked so tired yesterday, I was certain Alev would bring him back to rest after their trip to the Leader.

Feeling a bit down, I took one last look around Alev's den and left. After more hesitation, I headed back home.

My Aella went on a mission yesterday, one that was very difficult for him. Cailyn couldn't wait for him all day as he had to go tend to something. But I remained at the border with Alev. The Aello was very worried and he couldn't stop pacing. I could feel his regret to let Ceri go the second we lost sight of his sunny curls. Alev tried to send me away many times, but I explained that I was concerned as well. I don't think he appreciated that, though. He wants to protect his son from everything, including me. And I deeply respected that.

Seeing that I didn't show any animosity towards him despite his unwelcoming behavior, he finally stopped trying to get rid of me.

I knew I had no place near Ceri in their eyes, but I didn't care. I just couldn't leave while knowing that he was alone. He was trying something for the first time, crossing a whole territory and facing the Aellas once again. The fact that he tries so hard makes him so cute that I want to hide him from the world and cherish him forever.

By the end of the day, Alev and I were very nervous because he hadn't come back yet. We feared the worst may have happened. And every time our eyes met, we would silently debate going after him. It was wise of Cailyn to send Aellos to wait with us, because at some point, Alev actually crossed the territory and was going to bring his son himself. He was stopped by the Aellos immediately, but not after two Aella-hunters came out of nowhere and threatened to send a spear into the heart of anyone who steps over their land again.

We realized that we were being watched, most likely by more than the ones we saw. The fact that the hunters were roaming their territory was supposed to calm Alev and me, but the grumpy Aellas refused to answer me when I asked about my Ceri.

They didn't even say that he was late or on his way or that he was captured, they just rudely refused to answer any of us. I tried to reason with them, but to no avail. Alev remained his usual silent-glaring self, while the other two Aellos kept making advances to the Aella-hunters.

I never understood how they could be attracted to rudeness and unjustified animosity. I always found people who were demanding and unkind, very overwhelming, suffocating even. And even though I know most Aellas were not particularly as bad as the ones I experienced, none of them came close to the beauty of my Aella.

He's a man. Yet unlike most Aellos, he's sincere and helpful. He's eager to learn everything about the forest and the sea. He tries his best and loves to think about the meaning of the things around him. To him, a squirrel is not only a tiny animal, it's an amazing small creature that moves quickly and is difficult to catch. He loves the idea of living inside a hole in a tree, eating pine nuts all day, and then hugging his fluffy tail at night. When he told me about this, I found him to be intensely adorable.

I silently vowed never to kill a squirrel again.

My Aella is so kind and understanding. He never asks for anything, not even to be fed or clothed. He thanks me for the tiniest things that I do for him and never demands to be compensated for allowing me to touch him. He has a smile more radiant than the sun itself, and cheeks that blush like the first roses of spring. Or his hair? He has the most daring hair, with curls that stir the strings of my heart every time they dance around his eyes.