Chapter 551: A Quiet Evening On The Terrace
In the Vale of Mists, the waning moon overhead cast a dim, silvery light through the blanket of fog that covered the valley. In the distance, the faint sounds of night birds hunting and larger animals rustling through the undergrowth added texture to the otherwise still night for those with ears sharp enough to hear them.
On her terrace, overlooking the valley, Ashlynn luxuriated in Nyrielle’s touch, snuggling close to her lover and basking in the contentment that followed one of Georg’s sumptuous meals.
"I missed these moments," Ashlynn said softly as she closed her eyes to relax into Nyrielle’s comforting embrace. This close, the scent of lavender soap and the subtle touch of honeysuckle perfume that the ancient vampire wore mingled with the misty air and the distant scent of cedar to create an aroma that comforted Ashlynn just as much as the smell of salty ocean air, seagrass and her father’s more rugged, almost leathery scent had comforted her as a child.
It was a scent that blended thoughts of home with safety, security, the freedom to be herself with the knowledge that she was loved, sheltered and protected. After so many months away, she had returned to the Vale and now life was returning to something she recognized as normal.
There were still several burdens weighing on her but having the space and time to enjoy dinner alone with Nyrielle was something more precious than she’d realized all those months ago when she insisted on having meals somewhere less formal than Nyrielle’s underground dining room.
"I missed them too," Nyrielle said as she gently ran her long, slender fingers through Ashlynn’s pale blonde hair. While much of Ashlynn’s body had become firmer and more toned as she transformed herself from a sheltered noblewoman into a powerful witch who could fight for her place in the world, her hair had become much softer since she left the salty air of Blackwell County behind.
The resulting softness was so luxurious that Ashlynn’s hair was quickly becoming her second favorite part of Ashlynn’s body to touch.
"Was Ollie well when you visited him today?" Nyrielle asked gently. It had been four days since the young man had begun his vigil and according to Ashlynn it wouldn’t be worrisome unless his trial extended beyond seven days, but that didn’t mean her lover had no reason to be concerned.
"His aura is strong and the world is nurturing him," Ashlynn said without opening her eyes. Heila and the archer Milo had been taking turn standing guard over Ollie’s vigil and Ashlynn visited at least once every day but unfortunately there was no way to know how he was fairing in the depths of his trial. What he was experiencing now was something only he could know and Ashlynn wouldn’t know anything about it until he succeeded... or failed.
"If I compare him to Heila at this time, then he’s doing much better," Ashlynn said. "Or at least he seems to be under less strain. The seed I prepared for him is a normal one and he doesn’t have to endure the pressure of an Ancient Seed possessed by a remnant spirit of a previous witch the way Heila did. I think he’ll emerge in the next day or two but there’s no way to really know," she said.
Ashlynn tried to keep her voice light, but an echo of her heartbeat echoed within Nyrielle’s chest. Given that, even if the vampire didn’t have senses that were far beyond human limits to feel every tremble of her lover’s body and see every jump of her pulse in her neck, it would still be impossible for Ashlynn to maintain a confident face when her heart trembled with worry.