Iriona

[Victoria]

Slowly a dull ache appeared across her abdomen, a slight pressure that pinched every time she tried to move. She felt like she needed to stretch out, move around, anything. But she also had a sinking feeling that if she tried she would regret the choice. There was something warm though against her side, her head rest against something firm. Groggily she forced her eyes open to try and take in her surroundings, everything over the last several hours was a pure blur to her. She remembered Jack leaning over her, she remembered being jostled about and then a woman prodding at her side. She took a deep breath, wincing at the sudden pain. From the position she was in she couldn’t see the face of the man she was curled up with, but by his slow breathing she could tell he was still asleep. It wasn’t Colin, she knew that much, she knew his touch, how he held her. A soft knock on the door though pulled her from her thoughts and her gaze snapped to the door. Despite not being able to really move much at all. She found herself instinctually squeezing the hand she held as if somehow he could give her comfort.
“Mother said Elion had brought someone in,” a young blonde said as she poked her head into the room and noticed Aria awake, “She asked me to look in on you both and bring in some hot soup.” She nodded to the tray in her hands. “Though she failed to mention his friend was a young woman,” she added with a smile.

Elion. No, there was no way he would have let himself get this close to her. Their last encounter where they had so much as touched ended in both of them being rather bitter towards each other. He did know he was in the bed with her? Didn’t he? Pulling away from Elion slightly, pain ripped through her side and she groaned, resting her forehead against Elion’s shoulder. Everything was still fuzzy, she didn’t entirely know what had happened. Though some of the details were starting to come back to her. Breaking up with Colin, stopping when she saw Jack’s car, him proclaiming they had found the guy and the last thing she really could recall was a gunshot tearing through the night air and then Jack leaning over her. She had been shot. That had to be it. Which as best she could remember she had faded in an out of consciousness, which had obviously led to her situation here. “What happened?” she asked, looking at the young blonde whom she could only assume was Elion’s younger sister.
“From what Mother says there was an accident,” she answered as she set the tray down on a nearby table, “You were stabbed.”

Stabbed? No, she had been shot. And stabbed… maybe… it was all making her head spin and she didn’t have it in her at the moment to really assess what had gone down. She would have to ask Elion when he woke up. But for now, she was content to let him sleep, she was content to stay right where she was wrapped up against him, his hand holding securely to hers. She didn’t like him like that, but he made her feel safe, cared for. And she’d be lying if she tried to say she didn’t care about him in some way. You didn’t get sucked into this whirlwind with someone for so many days and not come to care about them in some fashion. Resting her head back down against his shoulder, she felt him stir beneath her. When she looked back up, Zara was gone again. Presumably having gone to get their mother. Elion had mentioned she was a healer. It was all still fuzzy but she was starting to make sense of things now. At least she thought she was.

[athena]

The sound of gentle voices tickled the recesses of Elion’s tired brain. It sounded like Zara, but he couldn’t be entirely sure. He struggled to wake up but it felt like he was swimming against the current. He hadn’t realized he was that tired. It fell silent in the room; Zara must have left. He felt Aria stir beside him, and in response Elion began to move himself. Slowly, he lifted his eyelids, feeling as if they were weighed down with lead. “Was Zara here?” he muttered sleepily. They were positioned at an awkward angle, and he couldn’t quite look at Aria. Instead he tilted his head down, catching some of her hair in his beard. Aria mumbled in return. It sounded like it was a yes. Elion waited a moment longer, gathering the inner strength to pull himself from the bed. Gently he detached his hand from Aria’s. “I’m getting up now,” he declared rather offhandedly. Aria only grumbled.

Elion delicately pushed himself away from Aria and the bed. Ever the vigilant nurse, Elion ensured that Aria was not jostled too much. He even helped prop her up with a variety of pillows so that she could eat without spilling soup. Even more surprising was that Aria didn’t oppose the help. She remained quite as Elion plumped pillows for her and set up the table tray and soup. He pegged her silence on her grogginess and the pain. “How are you feeling?” Elion questioned hesitantly as he watched intently. She tried to muster a shrug, but it only ended in a wince. “Sorry,” he apologized instantly. Not just for her pain, but for his carelessness and perhaps even for his own guilt. Aria’s face twisted into a familiar scowl. It quickly dropped from her face.

“I’m just more confused than anything,” she finally admitted. She pushed around her spoon and eyed the soup. “I’d eat that. Mother will be less than pleased if you don’t eat at least something. And I wouldn’t want to see her cross.” Elion settled in his now familiar chair and helped himself to his own soup. He paused a moment to savor the rich broth his mother had made. It would no doubt restore his energy and help Aria heal more quickly. He nodded his approval when Aria hesitantly sipped her own soup. “Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning.” Elion dreaded the prospect of telling her everything that had happened in her absence, especially his own role in her injury. He expected he would be thoroughly shunned afterwards.

“Firstly, you are under the care of my mother. She performed some extensive healing on you, but you must rest still. She wasn’t able to fix everything...the damage was rather...uhm...extensive. The rest will just have to heal on its own. I don’t know how long that will take. That’s a question for mother. And I’m sure you’ll hear this speech again when she comes to check on you,” he finished with a chuckle. Elion drained the soup from his bowl, trying to buy time as his mind scrabbled to put together everything. He set the bowl aside and focused on the edge of the fraying rug. He heard Aria rustle slowly in the bed. She groaned softly to herself, and Elion was instantly on his feet, motivated by his guilt to try and help. Aria only waved him away, looking at him suspiciously. “Spill it,” she demanded weakly, instantly catching on to his strange behavior. Elion’s gaze once again returned to the fraying corner of the rug, as if it could help him. He could feel Aria’s confusion and impatience growing.

“After you returned to Springmount, we were able to track down Adus and Suila. We,” Elion paused and corrected himself, “no I ordered surveillance on the two and their home. There was nothing suspicious, but I had found previous evidence within the home that indicated that these two were the ones we were after. So I planned a raid so to speak. The team I’d assemble would infiltrate the home during the night, arrest Adus and Suila, collect the evidence, and close the investigation.” He paused, but not too long. Aria would no doubt push the information from him if he came to a complete halt.

“It didn’t exactly go as planned. Adus was ready. I don’t know if he caught on to my tails or if there’s a rat somewhere. Regardless, he was waiting for us. With a group of hired mercenaries. He’s a madman Aria, well and truly insane. He murdered Suila, admitted to it, because she had reached the end of her usefulness. He admitted to the murder of the sprites, and my – our – interference with his experiments. I’m afraid he has a vendetta against us, especially me. He left the building, leaving his mercenaries to deal with the squad and me. Grifad and I left the building, pursuing Adus and his remaining henchmen. We managed to catch up to his henchmen, and a fight ensued.” He halted, wondering how to tell her the next part. Elion glanced at Aria. She looked back at him expectantly.

“It was dark...and rainy,” he started and then stopped, realizing it sounded as if he was making an excuse. There was no excuse though. “Grifad called out that another mercenary was behind me. I turned and stabbed, although I slid in the mud so my aim was not as accurate as usual.” He felt himself pale. “I had no idea it was you until I got closer. I should have expected something like that would have happened. Your appearances are so sporadic, I should have better prepared.” Elion twisted his hands together in a rare demonstration of guilt and regret. “I was already on the road to Haleah, so I brought you here for healing. Grifad continued to tail Adus, but I have yet to hear from him. We have been here since early this morning. And I suspect that we will remain here until you are more suited for travel.”

Elion wondered how to apologize, if that was what Aria even wanted to hear. Or if she would forgive him afterwards. He opted for the most straightforward option.
“Aria, I am truly very sorry. There is no excuse for my failure, and I will try to make this right, however possible.” Such a formal apology was traditionally coupled with a bow of some sort. Elion’s position, however, prohibited such a thing. Instead, he simply bowed his head and refused to make eye contact with her. He was afraid of what he would see. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Lys entered the infirmary. “Ah good, you’re up,” she said with a smile. “And eating too. Wonderful. I am Elion’s mother, Lys, and you are in my care. How are you feeling?”

Elion recognized a dismissal when he saw one. He collected his bowl and the now cool left over soup. He bowed formally before retreating from the infirmary. He deposited the utensils in the kitchen and sulked towards his father’s orchard. Although it was not his own orchard, Elion had grown up under these trees and at this juncture any comfort was better than none.

[Victoria]

Watching Elion leave the room, Aria didn’t have it in her to answer his mother just yet. Had he just admitted to stabbing her? That was harder to wrap her mind around than anything else that had happened in her time in Iriona. She had watched him in the field, he was usually so calculated with every move he made that it was hard for her to believe that he could have possible slipped up. Let alone so severely. But it explained why he had stayed by her side the way he had. And it seemed like he was blaming himself for her current state. As much as he clearly expected her to be mad, she wasn’t. It was an accident. As he had so clearly stated, her appearances were sporadic at best. If he hadn’t lunged and it had been an actual mercenary behind him, he would be the one in the bed, not her. She couldn’t blame him for this. It wasn’t like he had done it on purpose. Though at this point she was sure she had given him plenty of reasons to stab her. The hints of a smile pulled at her lips, they were quite the pair, that was for sure. Finally, she turned her attention back to Lys, “I’m alive,” she answered, her smile fading, “Thanks to you from what I was told.”
Lys nodded, “I did what I was able, but your wounds were extensive and deep and the spirits are limited in their power, as am I,” she answered as she took the bowl of soup from Aria and set it to the side, “But that does not answer my question dear,” she reaffirmed.
“There’s some pain,” she answered a little more directly, “If I don’t move it’s just this dull ache, pressure all over like someone’s sitting on my side. If I move it’s much sharper and central.”
“It is still too soon for me to administer another dose of pain medication, if it gets too intense, you must inform me straight away, is that understood?” she questioned and Aria simply nodded in agreement. She really didn’t know how to handle Elion’s mother telling her what to do. For some reason she couldn’t look at Lys like a doctor, or rather a healer as they seemed to be called here. But rather this was Elion’s mother. And for some insane reason she felt like she needed to somehow impress the woman. Like it really mattered what she thought.

Lys checked over the wound and declared that it should heal up nicely. Along with the speech Elion had predicted. That she would remain on the farm until Lys deemed it safe for her to travel again. But there was no real telling how long she would be around anyway. Sooner or later she would wake up in the hospital from being shot. Unless she didn’t. Then what would happen? Would she just fade away forever? Would she stay here? If she died in Springmount, would she die here too? The sudden onslaught of questions left her head spinning as her panic grew. Her breathing quickened, her hands started shaking. Where the hell was Elion? He would understand her concerns. “What’s the matter dear?” a soft mothering voice asked, Aria had forgotten Lys was in the room with her.
“What if I die?” she asked in a meek tone.
Lys shook her head, “You won’t from this,” she assured the younger woman.
“No,” she said softly, “before this, back home, I had been shot,” she tried to explain, but she didn’t know if Lys would understand. She didn’t know where to start trying to figure all of this out. And there were still the cases to be solved. Elion couldn’t stay trapped here with her, surely he would leave and get back on the trail. He couldn’t waste time watching over her.

Before Lys could really process what Aria had been saying and come up with some kind of answer for her, Aria fiddled with the edge of the blanket beneath her. “Where did Elion go?” she asked.
Lys smiled warmly, “Out to the orchard I would assume, he does love it out there,” she answered. “I can have Zara run out and fetch him for you if you would like,” she offered.
Aria shook her head, “No,” she answered, “That’s okay.”

[athena]

Elion walked through the straight rows of the orchard, occasionally stopping to pick a ripe peach from a tree. In the distance, he could see Elammin working in the fields. Soon it would be Ager and the field crops would be harvested. Perhaps he would finally be able to help his father bring in the crops; it had been several years since he had been home during Ager. It seemed that there was always a plethora of investigations in Eltal that prevented him from participating in his favorite past time. “Elion!” a familiar voice interrupted his meandering thoughts. A moment later, Zara snaked her arm through his. She beamed a smile up at him. “Mother sent me after you,” she explained. Elion only nodded. “She said Aria’s been asking after you.” He stopped his walk to look at his sister. She grinned wider and elbowed his side. “It’s really quite lovely of you to bring a girl home. Maybe next time she won’t be, you know, injured.” He scowled at his sister, not appreciating her joke. Zara brushed his scowl off with a laugh.

“Seriously, Elion! You need to stop being such a grouch. Besides, from what mother says she’ll be here for a while, so there will be plenty of time for you to pretend to bring home a perfectly normal, healthy woman. Oh...whatever will Briya think? How her heart will be crushed!” In the process of her dramatic speech, Zara had dropped Elion’s arm and flounced around. She finally managed to elicit a small smile from her brother. “Cut it out,” he retorted. “You know very well that Briya and I are just friends. And Aria is a fellow agente.” It was a simplified description of Aria, but he didn’t feel the need to elaborate. “How is Briya?” he asked, changing the subject.

Briya lived on a nearby farm. Although she was a few years younger than Elion, the two had grown up together and had always been fast friends. It had been a long time wish for the parents of both to see them married. Elion and Briya, however, had simply remained friends and, for the foreseeable future, would always remain that way. “From my understanding, she’s taken an interest in the agente business. Maybe she’ll head to Eltal to be under the tutorage of the famous dux there.” Elion groaned, a sign that he thought his sister was exaggerating. “Well, if you see her, tell her that I already have a student.” “El. We both know that Grifad is about to be advanced to a full agente. You can’t make excuses.” Zara smirked, pleased that she knew her brother so well. Elion only grumbled. “We’ll see when the time comes,” he finally conceded vaguely.

“Now,” Zara demanded, deciding that she had tormented her brother enough. “Go see Aria before mother has to find us both.” She thrust a bundle of flowers into his hands. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, they were poppies. In a sign of sisterly affection, Zara stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek before she pranced off into the fields. Elion shook his head. It was hard to believe that she would be married in a few weeks. She hardly acted like it. He turned on his heel and headed back into the house. He paused a moment at the infirmary to scrap the mud off his shoes. Lys would kill him if he trailed dirt into her perfectly clean room. She was used to it floating around the house. After all, they lived on a farm...it was expected, just not in her infirmary.

Hesitantly, Elion poked his head into the room. Aria was sitting upright, awake and very much alert. She heard the door and turned to look at him. Elion worried that she was going to yell at him, but she remained silent. Which may have been worse. He placed the flowers on the bedside table along with the few peaches he had collected. Elion tried not to fidget as he waited patiently for her to say something. As the silence pressed on, he decided he would break it. “I have decided I will remain here on the farm until you have healed.” He paused, surprised at himself. It had been a snap decision, but the moment he said it, Elion knew it was the right thing to do. And what he wanted. Aria began to protest, but he cut her off. “Adus has no doubt gone into hiding by now, so we are essentially at the beginning of the investigation. I have assigned the task of tracking down Adus to Grifad. He has been on this investigation from the beginning, and I have trained him myself. I trust him completely,” Elion smiled to himself. “I suppose in that respect we agente do operate like your partners. Grifad is almost the equivalent to your Jack. He will notify us of any finds or changes in the case. And,” he began to finish in a much quieter voice, “I want to be here.” He left it intentionally vague.

A moment later, he returned to his normal self. He settled in the chair. “Now, mother said you were asking for me?”

[Victoria]

Aria let him ramble on about having Grifad take the reins on the case and she thought she caught him saying he actually wanted to be there. But surely that meant he just wanted to spend time with his family before his sister was married off in a few weeks time, or at least that’s how she understood it. It wasn’t like he was staying because of her. There was a pang though at his mention of Jack, she wasn’t even sure if she would ever see Jack again. She didn’t know how dire her condition back home was, and given that she hadn’t woken up yet could mean things. On the other hand, if her time theory was correct, there was no telling how little time had passed in Springmount. “Actually, Grifad and I are more the equivalents,” she smiled slightly, “Jack started training me even before I became a detective. His partner got killed in the line of duty and Jack really pushed me to go for the open spot. It’s been almost two years since.”

She was stalling, she knew that much. She really didn’t know how to approach the topic that had caused him to take off out of the room earlier. Though when she glanced up at him she could see the same annoyance that she was sure had mirrored her own earlier when he had been the one stalling. But it wasn’t exactly an easy thing to bring up, he had admitted to being the one who stabbed her, how was she supposed to deal with that? She wasn’t mad, of course not, but it wasn’t like just because she said she didn’t blame him that he wasn’t going to blame himself. She didn’t want him beating himself up over this. And really, most of the time they had spent together he didn’t seem like he liked her too much so why would he even care? “I was looking for you,” she admitted softly, “Though I told your mother not to worry about finding you.” She sighed and looked down, trying to put her words together. “About what happened, it was an accident, the truth of the matter is, you couldn’t have possibly known it was me behind you. You did what you had to to protect yourself. So no, I’m not going to yell, and yeah the situation kind of sucks,” as if to prove her point, she grimaced as she shifted on the bed trying to get comfortable. “But it’s not your fault. These things happen and if you’re only staying out of guilt, there’s a killer out there you need to go catch.”

Truth of the matter was, she didn’t want him to leave. She was sure his family was perfectly sweet, she had seen nothing but good from both Lys and Zara. But it was a bit awkward being on his family’s farm in the first place, it would only get more awkward for her if he left. He seemed to get her situation, maybe not understand it anymore than she did. But he got it. Plus she kind of liked having someone around to talk to. Though she wasn’t going to push the topic of her being shot just yet, they could cross that bridge if they came to it. He already seemed to feel bad enough about stabbing her that she didn’t want to dump her extra worries on him too. Besides, if she was going to die in Springmount there was nothing they could do here to stop it. So what was the use in worrying him too? For now, she would just hold that back and focus on getting better, on finding their killer again. God she wished she could see the house he had found, but there was no way they would even entertain the idea of letting her go in her current condition. She looked around the room she was in trying to distract her wandering mind. It was then that she really got a good look at the place, something about it just felt familiar. But she knew she had never been here before. “This may sound weird, but this place feels familiar,” she mused quietly.

[athena]

Elion perceptively stiffened as Aria absolved him of his part in her stabbing. Despite her assurances that hew as not to blame, it did not stop Elion from feeling as though he was to blame. A brief silence settled upon the two. Aria looked about the room intently while Elion’s gaze remained firmly on his hands. His mind began to wander. He wondered what had been happening in Springmount that had caused Aria to materialize so rapidly and in the midst of such chaos. Her previous appearances, although always random, had occurred during down times. As he continued to think, Elion came to the conclusion that something chaotic must have been happening in Springmount for her to arrive at such a strange time. He looked up at her and was about to ask such when she interrupted.

“This may seem weird,” she started, “but this place feels familiar.” Elion paused and looked around. He really couldn’t say anything about it. He had grown up in this house, so of course everything was familiar to him. Elion shrugged. “It is the oldest part of the house,” he explained. “The house has been in our family for generations. Eventually, this one room grew to small for one of the family members and ever since then someone has expanded the farmhouse. Mother converted it into an infirmary once her skills became known.” He paused a moment. “Although, it is quite possible that it is connected to your childhood visits. While you are recovering, perhaps we could look more into that. My father, Elammin, is quite the historian and folklorist. He may be able to better help you. When you are feeling better of course. ”

“Sure,” Aria weakly replied, a faint smile on her face. Elion realized that Aria was no doubt tired. Her body was in the process of healing and needed plenty of rest. However, he was hesitant to leave her. She had asked for him so there was no doubt something she wished to discus with him. Elion let silence return as he waited for Aria to address whatever concern she had wished to share with him. However, as he watched her expectantly, it became clear that she was not going to reveal anything to him at the moment. So he began to speak just to fill the silence. At first he babble aimlessly about anything and everything. It was all related to the farm, though. And as he pushed on, he began to talk more in depth about the orchard and fields. About how he loved them and farming. About the festivals surrounding the end of Facis and the start of Ager. Elion vaguely realized that most of this conversation probably didn’t make sense to Aria. He decided to change subjects.

“Zara will be married in a little over two weeks. I suspect we’ll be here for the wedding.” Elion chuckled. “I also suspect you will be dragged into wedding preparations. Zara always complains that I am not a good substitute for a sister.” Aria managed her own chuckle. No doubt she had pictured something strange about him. Elion smiled crookedly. Whatever fears Aria had, it seemed as if he had temporarily allayed them. He continued to talk about Zara’s upcoming wedding, her future husband, things she liked to do, her personality, anything to keep Aria’s mind distracted. Elion had just began to tell her about Elammin and Lys when a contented sigh issued from the bed. He glanced up to find that Aria had fallen asleep. Elion smiled to himself. No doubt Lys would be pleased.

As if on cue, his mother swept into the room carrying a set of clean clothes and a washbasin. “Ah,” she said simply. “Well I suppose it is a good thing she is resting, but I would have liked for her to clean up a bit. All that dirt and grime is simply...disgusting really.” Lys sighed and set her materials down. “You can leave Elion. She’ll be resting for a while. And when she wakes I will help her wash. Or Zara will. Either way, you will need to be gone when that happens. For modesty’s sake.” Elion stood, knowing better than to argue with his mother. They were all adults, and the nakedness would have hardly bothered him. He doubted Aria would have cared either. But Lys was rather traditional, and would not be crossed on such matters. He nodded meekly. “I think you’re father is out in the wheat fields today. You should go help him.” Again Elion nodded, recognizing his mother’s dismissal. He cast one last glance at Aria before he departed for the fields.

[Victoria]

The moon was high in the night sky as the young girl poked her head out of the room they had given her for the night. This was a whole new place with new people and it scared her. Gripping tighter to the teddy bear in her arms, little Aria stepped cautiously out into the main room of the small farmhouse. The nice woman that had brought her here had told her this family would take good care of her, but that didn’t make the whole experience less trying for the five year old. She really just wanted to go home, but something stirred in the pit of her stomach, a sense to explore even just a little while she was here. Slipping over to the window, she could see the faint glow of the moon off the poppies in the field at the edge of the farm. “Aria?” a warm voice called from a nearby doorway.
Jumping she turned around, fear alight in her dark eyes, “I’m sorry! I just…”
The older woman shushed her, “It’s quite alright dear,” she answered, “What has you awake and wandering at such an hour?” Aria ducked her head shyly, not knowing how to answer the question, not knowing which answer was the one that would keep her from trouble. The older woman came to kneel in front of her, “Do you remember my name Aria?” she asked, and the little girl shook her head. “Well, I am Caelina, wife to Elek and mother to Anacia and Elam,” she smiled softly, “However, you may call me Lina so that you may remember it more easily.” Holding out her hand to the young child, she nodded, “Would you like to take a walk with me dear?”
Hesitantly Aria reached out and took the proffered hand, “Yes please.”
The pair walked in silence out the front door of the small house and to the edge of the poppy field she had been staring at, “I do not understand how you came to Iriona,” Caelina confessed, “Nor do the spirits care to grant us the answers we seek, but know you are here with a purpose. And you are always welcome in our home.” She explained to Aria as they sat down together. Since the child’s arrival the storms had been lessening in strength and frequency. That was not something to be overlooked, she was here with a purpose, of that Caelina was certain.

Soft voices crept into the dream, both distinctly female as they whispered back and forth. “I shall send for you when she wakes,” one voice said.
“No need for that Mother,” the second voice said, “she’s waking.”
Aria opened her eyes slowly and took in her surroundings. Once again Elion’s chair was empty with him nowhere in sight. Was it wrong that she felt so exposed in the company of his mother and sister? Over their short time together, Elion seemed to understand her. Lys and Zara were strangers, they didn’t understand where she came from, what she was here to do. But then again, neither did she understand the latter either. Before she could think more on it, Lys was standing next to the bed with fresh linens in her hands, “We should clean you up,” she informed Aria, “Zara will assist you with bathing, and we have fresh clothes for you to put on. Surely you will be much more comfortable after you are clean and out of those clothes.” Aria only had it in her to nod in response. Was it strange that she would almost rather Elion be the one assisting her? She understood that she couldn’t do it herself, but she didn’t know Zara, she knew Elion. Lys breezed out of the room again, off to do whatever else needed doing.
“We were never properly introduced,” the younger girl started, “I’m Zara, Elion’s younger sister.”
Aria smiled slightly, “Aria, as I’m sure you know by now.”
Zara just nodded in response. “Now on Mother’s orders I must help you,” she noted, “But I will leave it for you to decide how we shall go about it.”
“No matter how we do it, it’ll be awkward,” Aria confessed.
“Allow me to help you and I will fetch Elion when we are finished,” Zara smiled, “You do not seem to like being out of his company.”
Aria felt a twinge of heat along her cheeks, “It’s just that…” she tried to argue.
Zara laughed slightly, “I understand, we are strangers, he is not. However, between you and me, Mother has had to chase him away a few times. He seems to dislike being away from you as much as you dislike being away from him.”
What? There was no way, he had run out of here after confessing that he had been the force behind the sword that had stabbed her. Surely, he didn’t want to be around her. She couldn’t exactly blame him, it wasn’t like she had a world winning personality.

The bath, though awkward, went smoothly and thankfully quickly with little mishap. Zara kept her well distracted with idle chitchat both about Elion and her upcoming wedding. She seemed excited to have Aria around for it, and of course extended invitation for her to join the festivities. But as sweet as Zara was, Aria found herself torn between continuing the conversation with Zara or asking her to go find Elion and possibly their father. Elion had mentioned that he might have some answers for her regarding her past. Although she couldn’t say she felt up to it, she wanted answers. She just wasn’t sure anyone could really give them to her.

[athena]

As the sun began to set over the farm, Elion scooped up the field tools and carried them to the shed. Elammin followed closely behind him. The two men were filthy. Caked in dirt and sweat, they were both sorely in need of a bath. A loud grumble issued forth from Elion’s stomach, and his father laughed quietly. Apparently, a meal was also in order. Instead of heading to the kitchen to wash up and eat a meal, he tromped back to the infirmary. He signaled for his father to follow him. The silence between father and son had always characterized their relationship. While many found it strange, the two had always been able to communicate with looks and gestures. Fewer words had always been preferable to Elammin anyway.

Agreeably, Elammin followed him. Lys would no doubt give them both an earful for trailing dirt through the home, but not nearly as much of a scolding if they trailed the dirt into his mother’s precious infirmary. Elion paused outside the doorframe to knock his boots clean. Elammin did the same. Carefully, he pushed the door open and popped his head in. He was pleased to see Aria was awake and dressed. He smiled happily, completely unaware that he looked every inch the eager puppy. “I brought a visitor,” Elion started. He opened the door wider and came into the room, his father close at his heels.

“This is my father, Elammin. I have explained most of your unique situation to him; he’ll try to answer as many questions as possible.” Elion settled into his customary chair, watching his father and Aria. Elammin approached the bed and bowed his head slightly. It was his indication for Aria to begin. He looked at Aria expectantly, his blue eyes sparkling with hidden mirth. She looked back at Elion only to find the same look on his face.

“I was here as a child.” Aria declared. Elammin nodded. “I stayed with a little girl and her family. Her name was Anacia,” she paused a moment, thinking. “She had a brother too. Elam. And their parents were Elek and Caelina...” she trailed off, looking hopefully at Elammin. Elion too watched his father expectantly. Elammin thought, stroking his beard as his mind worked. Finally, he spoke up very quietly. “The family of El.” Aria nodded. “Yea, I’ve heard that before.” Elammin responded, “They are an old family.” “So you know them?” Aria asked trying to force herself to sit up more in her excitement. Elammin gently rested a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from further wriggling around.

“Of course. We are the family of El,” he said vaguely waving to himself, Elion, and the farm. Aria looked surprised. “Names in Iriona are by the first few syllables; the first born carries the family name, regardless of gender. Hence you have Elek, Elammin, Elion, Elam. There have been Elaines, Elares, and Elina as well. First borns typically marry second born children of other families to preserve lines.” Elammin waved his hands. “Point aside, we are the family of El. By the time you met Elek, the family of El had been living on this land for years.”

“I suppose that answers one question then,” Elion finally piped up from his chair. Aria looked at him, clearly questioning which one he was referring too. “We wondered why you seem so attached to me during your Iriona trips. It’s not me you are attached to, but the family of El. Anacia was probably the closest in age to you when you first travelled here. Now, I am the closest to your age, and a member of the family of El.” He shrugged as if the answer was obvious. Elammin nodded his agreement. “It would seem that way.” His father paused, listening. He patted Aria affectionately on the shoulder. “I am afraid I will have to answer the rest of our questions later. Lys is calling for dinner.” He smiled at the two. “I will bring you two something in a little. In the meantime, you two should consider if there are any more questions I can address.”

[Victoria]

Things were thankfully starting to make a little more sense now that she had the chance to talk with someone who knew more about the history of not only Iriona but the family as well. She glanced up at Elion before averting her gaze away again. Now she knew whom she had stayed with back then, why the spirits seemed so hell bent on sticking her with Elion. Although she had to admit that, she had originally believed it more to do with the case he was working. Turns out that was just lucky coincidence. But that still didn’t answer the questions of how she supposedly saved Iriona the first time. What the hell she was supposed to do this time to save the place again, if that was even her intended purpose this time around. Damn this would all be a lot easier if the spirits would just explain her purpose this time. It would make life a lot less stressful.

Aria shifted on the bed and cringed as pain shot through her abdomen, causing Elion to jump from his seat. “Oh sit back down,” she grumbled. He looked like he was poised to apologize again and she waved him off, “Don’t,” she told him. He didn’t need to keep apologizing for hurting her, it happened, it was over. They just had to deal with the fact that she couldn’t leave and he seemed pretty set that he was staying until she was free.

“I found the bear,” she said randomly. It seemed to peak his interest though as he sat back down in the chair, watching her expectantly. “It was in my parents’ attic, sure enough when I looked the orb was there,” she confirmed, “Just as we suspected.” The problem was that she had no idea where it was now. Things had happened in such a flash that she wasn’t sure if it had travelled through with her when she had appeared here. And if it did, with how things played out here, Elion wouldn’t have known to look for it, hell he would have thought of it given the situation. “Of course, I still don’t know what it does. And I highly doubt the spirits really took the time to explain it to me when they gave it to me. They don’t seem too keen on explaining things at all really.”

A sudden thought hit her, it had been in her purse, which had been on her when she had been shot. Which meant it should have travelled through with her. “It was in a bag I had,” she explained to him, “But given the circumstances,” she added motioning to her being bed ridden, “I have no idea where that bag went.”

He had already clearly stated that it had been dark and rainy when she had appeared behind him, and if the bag had dropped, he likely wouldn’t have noticed it when he realized it was her. So unless it had still been around her when he had brought her in here, there was no telling where it was now. She just feared what would happen if someone knew what that orb did, if they knew what it was and how to use it. They couldn’t have it falling into the wrong hands. Plus, there was a shadow of a hope that perhaps Elammin would have some insight to what the orb meant. What it’s purpose was. He seemed to understand these things a little better than his son. Which she had to admit, amused her simply because he was the proclaimed spirit walker after all.

“I take it you didn’t notice a bag when all of this happened, did you?” she asked, already knowing in her gut what the answer would be.

[athena]

He felt his stomach plummet as Aria asked if he has seen her bag. Slowly, Elion nodded his head. “No, I didn’t...” he trailed off. Wracking his brain, Elion tried to remember anything from that night; it was just a blur though and nothing seemed to stand out. Aside from the stabbing that is. Aria waved him off with a look that clearly indicated she suspected as much. They both sat in silence, no doubt thinking the same thing. The orb crafted by the spirits all those years ago contained an unknown and untold power. If the orb fell into the wrong hands who knew what would happen. Elion grimaced. What if Adus had it? Or found it? It was truly a thought he did not wish to contemplate.

“I will leave tomorrow morning to search for it,” he declared firmly. “I should only be gone a few days. It will give you plenty of time to rest. With any luck I will find your bag and its contents.” Aria looked skeptical. Elion couldn’t say he blamed her. It was a daunting task to say the least, but it was nonetheless worth the effort. Especially if the orb had some power that could aid the investigation or answer Aria’s questions. At least Aria seemed to agree with him...for now anyway. It would probably change when she began to recover her strength. He stood and stretched, a faint smile on his face. “Well, I do believe I shall go to bed now. I will be leaving at daybreak tomorrow.” Elion offered a semiformal bow as he left.

____________________

Elion was awake long before the sun peeked over the horizon. It had been a restless night full of tossing and turning. Finally Elion had given up on sleep and left his bed. He sat on the porch and enjoyed the predawn silence; it had been quite some time since he had been able to simply enjoy himself like this. When the sky began to turn a rosy pink, Elion shook off the morning chill and returned into the house. He ate a light breakfast and packed one of the many travel sacks with enough food to last him two days. Quietly Elion left the house. He did not bother to say goodbye to anybody as he assumed they were all still asleep. Instead, he said his farewells to the horses in the barn before he left. Elion saddled the sure-footed Azrel and led her silently from the barn. Together the two set off at a brisk walk.

Much of the first day was spent walking the road. Elion remained vigilant, constantly scanning the road and its sides for any sign of the misplaced bag. He hardly expected it to be this far along the road, but he would rather not take the chance of missing it. It was well after noon and into the early evening when he finally reached the sight of the scuffle. The torrential rains had washed away virtually all of the footprints and blood from the fight. The only indication that there had been any fight at all was the two corpses on the roadside. Elion quickly surveyed the sight, hoping that the bag would be in plain sight. When nothing apparent jumped out at him he grumbled to himself. Of course it would not be that simple. He dismounted and hobbled Azrel.

Looking at the bloated corpses on the roadside, Elion felt a mixture of responsibility and guilt. He had been the death for at least one of these men. Instead of looking for Aria’s bag, Elion walked some distance from the road and found a relatively small clearing. Concentrating hard, he began to send his will into the earth. Instantly his desires became clear to the earth spirits and the soil seemed to take on a life its own as it vibrated to and fro. Elion exerted his will harder and the earth complied, finally falling away to create deep holes. He returned to the road and collected on corpse. Ignoring the stench, Elion carried the body back to the clearing and deposited it into one of the fresh graves. He repeated the same steps for the second body. Once again Elion reached out to the spirits and made his will clear. Within several minutes the earth had returned to its original place; the graves had been filled.

Elion sat down against the nearest tree. The burial of the two men had taken up the remaining of the afternoon. Night had finally fallen, successfully ending any search attempts. Furthermore, his efforts in creating the graves had tapped into his rarely used talents as a spirit walker. While the effort hadn’t completely exhausted him, a sense of weariness had settled over him. It was no doubt in his best interest to rest for the remainder of this evening and resume his search for Aria’s bag in the morning. Rather quickly he slipped off into a fitful sleep at the base of the tree.

Once again Elion was awake before morning had completely arrived. He had taken the time to eat and feed Azrel a handful or two of oats while the sun came up. With the sunlight finally strong enough to support his search, Elion began the arduous task of locating the bag. As noon crept upon him, Elion huffed in dismay. He had looked seemingly everywhere for the bag and had had no luck. He had hoped to be returning home by now. At the rate he was going, Elion would not return home until well into the middle of the night. Huffing, he plopped onto the ground and crossed his legs. His fingers snaked into the damp, beaten soil of the road. Instantly he reached out to the earth spirits and began communicating with them. He explained the bag, its importance, everything.

The earth spirits fell silent. A moment later Elion felt a leathery strap thrust into his hands. Here, the earth whispered to him kindly. We kept it safe after her arrival. There is a great gift within. An old one. Keep it safe. Do not lose it. She will know what to do with it when the time comes. It will be soon. Elion nodded his thanks. The thrill of success swept over him as he strapped the bag to Azrel. He had not expected to actually find it. No doubt Aria would be just as surprised when he returned it to her. Mounting up, Elion set an easy canter for home. Even at the quick pace, he would not arrive home until well until the night. It was no matter though. He had succeeded and the sense of pride fueled him through the long hours of his ride.

When he finally reached home, Elion felt the weariness of the two days settle upon him. Slowly he unsaddled Azrel and rubbed her down. She was a faithful mount and deserved all the rest and care he could afford her. Moments later he stumbled into the house, quiet the furthest thing from his mind. He pushed open his bedroom door and collapsed onto his bed, not bothering to change out of his filthy clothes or even remove his boots. Sleep was the only thing that presently concerned him. He would take the bag to Aria in the morning after a well earned rest.

[Victoria]

The days passed by slowly without Elion there to keep her company. Sure, she had Lys checking in on her and Zara had seemed to have taken up her brother’s post by her bedside. But rather than talk of the case they were trying to solve – the case that could mark the next contention if it wasn’t solved in a timely manner, it was endless chatter of Zara’s upcoming wedding. “You will attend, won’t you?” Zara asked, her tone hopeful and suddenly Aria felt bad for paying little mind to what the younger girl was prattling on about. She couldn’t promise that she would be there because she didn’t know if she would still be in Iriona when the day came, but looking at Zara she could only imagine this is what having a little sister was like, she didn’t want to disappoint her. Suddenly she found herself wonder what all Zara had talked Elion into during their childhood. He obviously loved his little sister with how he spoke of her. If she was feeling the need to not disappoint her after only knowing her a few days, she could only imagine the effect that pleading look had on her older brother.
She nodded slightly, “If I’m still here,” she answered, no hint of promise in her tone. It was enough, though, to placate Zara. In the few days she had been in the farm house, it had become common knowledge of her situation. At first Zara had endless questions, she explained many times that the book based on Aria’s first trips as a child was one of her favorites growing up.

“…perhaps when you are well enough Mother and I can take you into town,” Zara suggested and once again Aria was caught not paying attention.
“For what?” she asked, trying to focus her attention on Zara instead.
Zara smiled, “A dress,” she repeated, “For the wedding.”
Aria nodded again, not really having anything to add. She didn’t wear dresses very often. At least not back home. But here it seemed to be more common, so she would wear one. If she was even here. That was something she couldn’t allow herself to forget. She still had no clue what her situation in Springmount held for her. She still didn’t even know for sure what was happening. But she did know that based off previous trips, she should have woken up by now. She should have gone home. And yet she was still here, solid as ever. She really just needed to work the courage up to talk to Elion about all of this. She didn’t want him thinking her crazy for not knowing if she was alive or dead. He just needed to come back, bag or no bag. They would figure it out.

“I suppose you’d be more interested in knowing that when doing my morning work I noticed Azrel back in her stall,” Zara smiled knowingly.
Aria looked up, her gaze questioning, “Who?”
“The horse Elion took on his trip,” Zara answered, “She’s back. Which would mean…”
“…Elion’s back,” Aria cut off, a sudden rush of nerves bundling tightly in the pit of her stomach. A feeling she couldn’t quite understand but she pushed aside her confusion for now. She wanted to see him. “Can you help me up?”
Zara looked unsure at first, “I should ask Mother if you’re ready for movement yet,” she answered. But the look she was getting from Aria said otherwise. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”
Nodding in response seemed to be enough. Maybe it was clear just how much she wanted to talk to Elion. Zara helped her from the bed and Aria leaned against her, her movements stiff more from her lack of moving around than the injury. Though she could definitely feel that too. They moved slowly into the kitchen just as Elion walked in from the other side.

“Nice of you to let me know you were back,” Aria teased, though she felt herself smiling.

[athena]

Although Elion had slept well, he still felt exhausted when he rose in the morning. It seemed as if the events of the past few days had finally caught up with him. His intentions when he first declared they would remain at the farm had been solely for the benefit of Aria. Now, however, it seemed as if he too would benefit from a prolonged stay at the family farm. With a nod to himself, Elion stood and stretched. The sensation of blood rushing to his stiff limbs energized him somewhat. A hot bath would no doubt refresh him further. Elion collected some of his old clothes that had been left at home and shuffled down the hallway to the bath.

Unlike his own tub in Eltal, his parents’ bathing facilities were housed indoors. They were not nearly as fond as bathing outdoors during Pelagus as their son. Elion shut the door behind him and turned the knob for hot water. As the water gushed out, he raided the bathroom cupboard. Lys kept a well-supplied closet of homemade soaps. He browsed a moment before settling on his favorite mint citrus concoction. He bathed slowly and leisurely. It was not often that he was able to bathe without having to hurry off to headquarters. Diligently Elion scrubbed away the dirt from his most recent travels. He even cleaned under his fingernails; oh how his mother would be proud. As much as Elion wanted to stay in the bath, the water had begun to cool and the sun had already risen higher. There would no doubt be work on the farm, and he had to talk to Aria at some point. With a begrudging sigh Elion dragged himself from the tub. He dried himself quickly, brushed back his hair, and struggled into his clothes. They clung to him more snugly then he was used to. It appeared he had picked a shirt from when he was still a boy; the current item in question was not meant to accommodate his broad shoulders and lean form. It hardly mattered. It would find its way into the grass at some point while Elion was out in the fields.

After tossing his clothes into the hamper, Elion headed to the kitchen. The feel of cool wood planks beneath his feet was a familiar sensation; he reveled in it. As he entered the kitchen, Elion cast about for some form of breakfast. It was not long before Zara and Aria slowly entered the kitchen. He was about to scold Aria for moving about so soon, but the look on her face gave him pause. She seemed to radiate happiness. For a moment Elion considered her happiness a result of his success in finding her bag, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized there was no way of her knowing the outcome of his search. He stared at her hard for a moment. Her smile grew softer and a faint blush whisked across her cheeks. Elion was surprised to find a matching blush creep across his own face. Zara coughed lightly, and Elion was forced to tear his gaze away. As only a little sister could, Zara indicated she would leave them alone. With a look that clearly said don’t mess up, his sister quietly departed and left the two alone. Hastily Elion collected a few breakfast items. He offered his free arm to Aria, and tentatively she took it for support. “There is a sight I am sure you would love to see,” Elion explained as he slowly led her to the back veranda.

Although the sun had risen fairly high in the sky, the morning mists still clung to the fields, the orchard, and just beyond that the bright field of poppies. Small rainbows twinkled in the mists as wind sprites swirled and sunlight reflected off their wings. Aria watched, entranced. Carefully Elion lowered her to the edge of the porch so that her feet fell over the edge. He then lowered himself beside her. In silence he handed Aria her portion of breakfast. A moment passed as they silently ate while watching the sprites play. Without much thought, Elion pressed his shoulder against Aria’s. He was surprised to find that she pressed amicably back. They sat that way long after breakfast had been finished. It was not until the mists had finally dissipated that Elion moved slightly away, although he loathed doing so. It seemed they had finally struck some sort of balance.

“I found your bag,” Elion started softly. He winced as Aria tensed beside him. Whatever moment they had been having, he had successfully killed. An image of a scowling younger sister arose in his mind. He pushed it aside, continuing down the path he had started. “Everything is intact. The orb is there, but I’m afraid nobody can handle it but you.” She looked at him questioningly. “I had a conversation with the spirits. The orb is their gift to you. Nobody else may handle it. They did not bother telling me what it does, but they warned that you should keep it close. The time for its use is near. Apparently when that time comes, you will know what to do.” He gave a characteristic shrug, straining the buttons on his shirt in the process. “I am sorry I could not find out anything else about your gift. At least we know it is not in the wrong hands.” Aria nodded in agreement. She was being unusually silent. She stared straight ahead, perhaps lost in her own thoughts.

“I am glad to see you have healed so well in my absence,” he ventured. Aria turned to face him, yet another blush dominating her face. Elion was confused to find that he responded with a rare genuine smile and his own blush. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, but something had shifted in Aria. Something that he clearly liked and was responding to. He felt a strange and seemingly out of place flicker of hope. Yet, he wasn’t sure what that meant either. Elion brushed his thoughts aside for later debate. At the present moment, it seemed as if Aria had something she wished to discuss or ask. An uncharacteristic troubled look had replaced her blush. “What is it?” Elion asked softly, hoping to coax something out of her.
/div]

[Victoria]

What is it? Of all the loaded questions he could ask her. It would be shorter to list what wasn’t wrong than to actually list everything that was. Things had been weighing heavy on her mind since she had woken up here on the farm.
Was Colin at her side waiting for her to wake up hoping that things would work out between them?
Was she even going to wake up?
Had Jack actually gotten the guy responsible for not only the needless murders of three girls and almost two others?
Or had he been too distracted by her predicament to make the final move?
Was what she was feeling being this close to Elion an extension of the loneliness that had been plaguing her the last few days?
Or was she actually, genuinely coming to really care for him?
Each question pounded at her relentlessly making sleep difficult and waking hours almost torturous. And now he was asking her what is it. She didn’t have an answer because she didn’t know what deemed more important to impart on him.

Logically speaking she should be more concerned with why she was still here, why she hadn’t woken up yet. But somehow actually being with him, watching the mist roll across the farm and the extending fields, that didn’t seem nearly as pertinent anymore. Because she was content, here, in this moment with him. But he knew something was wrong and that meant he would likely be persistent with her until she caved to him. But was it so wrong that she just wanted to forget her troubles for a moment and not dwell on the ‘what if’?

She knew all of these were things she would have to talk to him about eventually. He needed to understand the severity of her situation. That if she vanished again, she might not be coming back. But that was all the more reason to make the most of the time she did have here. Little by little he was showing her a magic she had long ago forgotten even existed. Something she had once believed in, but the world had calloused her to this sort of beauty. It wasn’t the spirits or the sprites that made everything so magical, it was sitting here with a man she thought maybe she was starting to like. It was watching nature at its finest, calm and peaceful. It was forgetting about the rush and urgency of not only her own case but the one they worked together. It was taking a moment to just breathe and be. She didn’t need anything special for this moment to mean something, she just needed to not ruin it with talk of what might be.

Whatever this bond was between them, it wasn’t going to flourish if they kept turning back to work, back to all the negative that surrounded them. That’s why she had stiffened at the mention of the bag. Because bringing up that bag and what was in it meant this little bubble they were in wouldn’t last forever. And for right now, she needed to believe it could. She needed to see all the good in this, what life here could offer. She just needed a moment of peace. Despite the significance that surrounded her meeting Elion, she needed to forget what brought her here and just enjoy the fact that she was.

With that thought in mind, she decided it best to leave her troubles for another day, another time. Maybe tomorrow, who really knew for sure. But she did know that she didn’t want to sour this moment with all the bad surrounding her situation. So instead she looped her arm through his, hugging it against her and leaned her head against his shoulder. Just being close to him was enough for now, enough to make her feel less alone in all of this.

“It doesn’t matter right now,” she said softly as she focused her gaze to the farm and all the beauty that lay beyond it.

[athena]

Aria remained silent for a long while. Elion watched the thoughts swim across her face. He wondered what had been happening in Springmount that had her so lost in her own mind. Perhaps something big had happened in her own investigation. Maybe she had caught the killer. Or it could be her family or lover. It made Elion somewhat uncomfortable to think that he knew so little of Aria’s home, life, and world. They had spoken of it briefly during their time together in Muula, but the information he had gleaned had been little before the conversation dissolved. Somewhere deep inside himself Elion felt sure that if he only knew more about Springmount and Aria’s life there he would be able to better assist her.

Finally, Aria responded. “It doesn’t matter right now,” she said as she took his arm and snuggled into his shoulder. Elion wanted to say that he was surprised, but in truth he wasn’t. He felt more relieved and comforted by her actions. They sat in silence until the mists burned off the field and the morning sun began to warm the porch and fields. A gentle tap on Elion’s shoulder drew his attention away from the fields and Aria. Elammin looked down at him and nodded meaningfully towards the fields. Silently, his father headed out expecting his son to soon follow him. Aria watched Elammin go and turned her face up to look at Elion. Rather unexpectedly Elion felt a strong sense of fondness sweep over him. Carried away by such feelings, he softly planted a kiss on her forehead.

He chuckled at Aria’s surprised face. Quickly, before she could swat him, Elion detached himself from her grasp and hopped off the porch. Elion tugged of his boots and was instantly off, bounding through the fields and feeling every inch the giddy boy he had been the last time he had worked with his father. Elammin openly laughed at his son, suspecting that his exuberant behavior had something to do with the woman sitting on the veranda. Elion collected the tools his father had laid out. Together the two set off, pulling weeds and collecting early bloomers as they went. Before too long, the sun had risen high in the sky and was beating down on the two. Although Ager was close, the season of Facis was reluctant to give up its heat. As he had as a boy, Elion soon stripped off his shirt and tossed it somewhere off into the fields. It didn’t take much longer for sweat to form and roll down his back. It was hard work, but Elion loved it.

Father and son soon fell into a familiar habit. One pulled weeds, the other examined the crops and collected early vegetables. The familiarity led to a sense of boredom; after all, the pattern was well established and like second nature to them. Elion found himself humming, and after his father’s silent encouragement, he burst into full fledged song.

A gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady.
He whistled and he sang 'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

His father joined in, providing the rather repetitive chorus.

Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-doo-dah-day
Ah-dee-doo-ah-dee-day-dee
He whistled and he sang 'til the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady.

Elion smiled and continued on.

She left her father's castle gate.
She left her young gay lover.
She left her servants and her state
To follow her gypsy rover.

Her father saddled up his fastest stead
And roamed the valley all over.
Sought his daughter at great speed
And the whistlin' gypsy rover.

He came at last to a castle fine
Down by the river so shady.
And there was music and there was wine
For the gypsy and his lady.

"He is no gypsy, my Father," she said
"but Lord of these lands all over.
And I shall stay 'til my dying day
with my whistlin' gypsy rover."

Elammin interjected at the appropriate times and together the two wove an enchanting melody that carried far across the fields. It had been so long since Elion had felt so care free. He knew he should be concerned about Adus and the possible contention, but being here on the farm with somebody whom he felt a fondness for was a panacea for his worries. The sun pushed passed the noon mark and Elammin signaled for a break. Slowly, Elion tracked back to the house, his father a few steps behind him. He waved as Aria came into sight.

“I see Zara brought you a chair,” he said cheerfully as he wiped dirt and sweat from his face. He plopped down on the porch beside her. “I hope she hasn’t pestered you too much.” Aria smiled, although she looked somewhat distracted. For a moment, Elion thought perhaps she was again lost in her thoughts about home. Her roving eyes, however, indicated that she was clearly interested in something other. He felt his grin broaden. A smart comment rose to his lips, but Aria was saved from being called out by Lys. “Elion!” she screeched. “Don’t you dare come into my clean house like that!” He smirked at his mother’s glare. “I will bring your lunch to you,” she finished as she stomped off. Aria smirked at him, obviously enjoying his mother’s rebuke. “I hope you’ve been enjoying the views,” Elion tossed out, vaguely gesturing to the farm. Aria’s smirk was replaced with a scowl and a blush. He felt a genuine laugh bubble out. Aria scowled harder but it wasn’t long before she chimed in with her own laugh. It seemed that the two of them had finally found some middle ground to stand on.
[/div][/font][/font]

[Victoria]

As the morning hours faded, Aria had been content to sit on the porch and just watch the men work in the fields. She knew there was more to it than this, but somehow it reminded her of home. Growing up on the outskirts of a southern city had its benefits. It had been peaceful. Zara had stopped out a few times to check on her too, bringing her a chair or a glass of water. Even Lys had popped out once or twice, assumedly to make sure her patient was doing well enough. But as the hours drug on, she had found herself wishing Elion would just come back up to the house. She liked just sitting here talking to him, and not about the case. Sure that was something they needed to focus on, but she also wanted to get to know him better too. She couldn’t do that if all they talked about was work. But now that he was back and teasing her, she almost wished he would go back to playing in the dirt where she could watch him without having to hear his smart comments.

“I’d push you for that comment if you weren’t all sweaty and gross, but I’m not going to touch you,” she teased with a smirk. But she had to admit, at least to herself, that it was definitely a turn on seeing him like this. Even the suddenly cheery and playful demeanor that had taken over him since they had come to the farm had definitely peaked her interest in him. She couldn’t even consider him a rebound infatuation either, because her growing interest in him had been the final nail in the coffin of her relationship with Collin. She had seen that be it her world, or another, there were guys out there that seemed to understand her better than Collin did. That understood her drive to solve a case, who appreciated what she brought to the team up. That was the kind of guy she needed, not some high school history teacher that wanted her to be everything she wasn’t. Maybe someday she would change her mind about everything, marriage, kids. But for now she had a case to solve. Two cases to solve really. And she had this apparently sweet farm boy to get to know. She had only just been starting to crack the surface on who the gruff, stoic agente was. And now she was seeing a whole different side to him.

She smiled though and looked back out at the fields before them, “When I was little my mother used to wake me up before she went into work every morning. Just before the sun came up. We didn’t live on a farm, but we lived across from one. She would make tea and I’d have milk or something and we would go out and sit outside and watch the sun come up over the farm fields. And then the farmer would appear around the same time with his tractor, and I would just sit there watching him, wondering how someone could do that kind of work every day. It just seemed so hard, but so fascinating at the same time. I loved to watch him with the horses, and tilling up the soil. And I remember asking my mother why he did all of this every day. She used to tell me it was because he loved it. That it took great passion to do what he did. And it was so exciting knowing I was watching him do what he loved every morning. It was peaceful.” She looked over at Elion and shrugged, “When I was about ten the old farmer passed away. And rather than continue his work, the son decided to sell the farm to this developing company. They tore the farm down, the barn, the house, all of it, just gone. The next year they started construction and built a new housing development.” She looked back out to the farm fields that seemed to stretch on forever and then back to the man sitting next to her. “I guess I never realized how much I missed it all until now.”

There wasn’t much from her childhood that she missed, and most of the time she didn’t even lie talking about what happened in her early years. But Elion was easy to talk to, at least when he was like this. “So I guess after lunch it’s back to work in the fields for you?”