Tindomiel poked her head out the door, straining her long ears against the murmur of the servants. She could just make out her mother’s voice, off at the other end of the house. Grabbing her bag, she darted down the hall and out the side door. She closed it slowly, hoping to draw as little attention as possible.
Pulling her hood over her head, she worked her way through the yard. She had been careful not to wear any of her finer clothes. The last thing she wanted was someone to notice her leaving. Slipping into the trees, she laughed quietly to herself. I did it! She smiled wide and pulled the bag over her shoulder.
Down into the trees and through the tall grass, she wandered. Her fingers trailed the different flora as she stared up at the stars. There are so many of them. If I could find a clearing, I could see so many more, she thought to herself. Pulling out the map she had taken, she looked carefully around before turning toward the east.
A few hours later, she found herself at the small pond at Darkmist. Settling on the shore, she pulled out a small snack and laid back, looking up at the sky. She sighed quietly, closing her eyes. Her reverie was interrupted by the sharp tip of a sword touching her chin. Her eyes flashed open wide, gasping.
“You realize they noticed you were gone hours ago?” Silannah stood over her, unmoving. She glared down at Tindomiel, her silver hair shining brightly in the moonlight. “What are you doing out here? You do realize the ogres are pushing closer each month, right? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” The last question came out with a growl.
Tindomiel shrunk into a ball, terror rising within her. Silannah moved her sword away, backing up ever so slightly. “You’re here to take me home, aren’t you,” Tindomiel choked out. “I just wanted to see it.”
“See what?”
“Any of it,” she squeaked out. “Please don’t hurt me. I just wanted to see what’s out here.”
Grumbling, Silannah picked up Tindomiel’s bag and tossed it at her. “You’re lucky Mire hadn’t found out. If we go now, you might escape it this time.”
Taking one final look at the stars, the younger elf gathered her things and stood, slowly. She pulled her cloak around herself, trying to hide her tears. It would be years before she would make another attempt.