3 Bloom Age of Kings
Year 20

The end of the last season had been challenging in more ways than Elyna had expected. The city streets seemed swollen with people, a flood of slaves brought across the seas with no provisions made for their lives. Vagrancy was not permitted in Renmere, but she had counted more folk than she wanted trying to sleep rough on the freezing city streets.

The last few days were a blur and Frost passed to Bloom without many seeming to notice. She’d spent the first two days flying over one of the main roads to the capital, watching for bandits beneath the tree cover. Her own crops would not be ready to harvest and eat any time during the season, but it remained her duty to protect the wagons that had been summoned to feed the increasing number of hungry mouths.

Still, there was at least something to celebrate. Her parents had not recalled her to Burhan. Not yet. Elyna stood in front of the small mirror she kept in her bedroom, propped against a pile of well-read and dusty books. Her hair hung loose down her back, the dark locks curling. Her green tunic was at least clean, dark leggings tucked into fresh socks.

There was laughter from downstairs in the small house, and Elyna smiled. She tucked stray hair behind her ear and slipped from the room. Due to the strict curfew in place, her friends had insisted that they should celebrate her belated name day, in her own home.

Emily sat upon Liam’s lap, the pair perched on one of the chairs besides the fireplace. Another Skyrider, Rafa a dark-haired young man sat on the floor, laughing with a bottle of wine in hand. Ronan, Liam’s brother was leant against the cupboard where Elyna had stowed all of her cooking gear away, dirty pots and all, thrown inside before her guests had arrived before dark. The tall farmer was laughing at something Rafa had said and offered Elyna a glass of ale as she finished her climb down the stairs from the bedroom overhead.

‘What did I miss?’ She looked between the cosy group, brows lifted. It wasn’t that she was suspicious about her friends...she just knew that they were up to no good.

The group burst into another round of raucous laughter. Elyna was left shaking her head, lifting the ale to her lips. It was cold, with refreshing notes of bitterness but sweet enough for her to enjoy. Before she could take another swig a loud bang against the front door caused the woman to jump.

Again, she peered at her friend before crossing the small room. Night was nearly fallen outside and their small gathering was lit by the open fireplace and candles held by wall hooks. Still, she pulled the door open and was left stunned by her new visitor. For a moment, all thoughts fled before she managed to find her voice.

‘Owen!’ She grinned, ‘come in, come in!’ Elyna stepped back to welcome the man in, waving frantically.

Owen smiled in return, pretending to bow before offering up not one, but two bottles of wine. ‘I know I’m a little late for your Name Day, but Emily said you were flying until tonight,’ he ducked inside the door leaving Elyna to glance at her blonde friend. Emily merely grinned in response and lifted her glass in toast.

‘Well you’re most welcome,’ Elyna shook herself free of the thoughts that threatened to overtake her merriment. ‘I just hope you don’t mind sharing the floor with these retrobates?’ She gestured to Rafa, Ronan and Liam, ‘with the curfew, I assume you’ll be staying the night? We have plenty of food and now plenty of drink!’

‘Hooray!’ Rafa cheered from the corner and another round of laughter started up.

‘Or...maybe they’ve already had too much to drink,’ Elyna shook her head. Emily must have given the man her new address.