The Mage and the Rogue

This was not the question that Aria was expecting. After a short pause, she answered, "There's no exact age, but it is much longer than humans. The ancient texts say that our Gods allow us to live as long as necessary for fulfill our purpose. My Clan Chief is hundreds of years old. I've heard stories of older elves, but I've never met one older than her." Cassandra's eyes were wide as if they were nets catching all the information.

"Wow. I think Oliver said he was 111 years old ... or was it 117? Either way, I couldn't believe that he looked so young for that age." Aria looked over at Oliver again. He wasn't that much older than her. *I wonder if he's imprinted on anyone before.* Aria shook her head before the thought could take her anywhere else.

"What's imprinting?" Cassandra interrupted, as if she plucked the thought from her mind.

"It's kind of hard to explain." Aria looked at the bread in her hands searching for the words. "To imprint, elves ... uh, kiss, and then they're tied to each other for a year, I think."

"Tied to each other?"

"Yeah, they feel compelled to be near each other, and they don't feel like themselves when they're apart. It's like a part of yourself is missing when the other elf isn't near. It's a risk though. You want to make sure you know who you're imprinting with."

"Why's that?"

"They say that even after the year is over, you carry part of that elf with you, and they carry a part of you with them. It's not always an even trade. I've heard horror stories. But there are upsides, too. If you imprint with the elf that the God's have destined you to be with, it's supposed to be incredible ..." Aria trailed off, because she felt like she said too much, but Cassandra was hanging on her every word.

"Have you ever imprinted?" Caindri inquired quietly without looking in Aria's direction.

Aria sighed. "No. I know of one elf that would have been more than happy to, but I didn't want to risk our friendship."

"But what if he was your soulmate?" Cassandra's tone seemed genuinely concerned. Aria had to stifle a laugh. She knew this human girl for all of 5 minutes, and she was already concerned about Aria finding true love.

"I doubt it." She said smiling. "It's supposed to be obvious, right? You're supposed to know right away. I think it's the same for humans?"

"Sometimes," Cassandra answered, smiling. Aria felt drawn to this girl. Her honesty sat well with her. She also felt that if he had any questions, Cassandra would answer them without hesitation and without judgment.

As the fire died down, one by one they retired to their sleeping areas, which was nothing more than blankets laid out on the hard earth under the wagons. The night was mild, so it wasn't too cold. Aria couldn't quiet her mind, so she stayed up watching the fire grow dimmer and dimmer until it was just coals. Oliver had set out into the woods to do Gods know what. Elves slept less than humans. The younger the elf, the more they slept. Aria was down to needing about 4 hours or so of sleep a night. An elf Oliver's age probably didn't need to sleep at all.

"Trouble sleeping?" His voice interrupted her train of thought. Aria looked up and located his silhouette just outside of the light of the fire. She nodded, as he walked to sit near her. "Me, too" he added, chuckling at his own joke. Aria rolled her eyes and made a disgusted noise. Her arms snaked around her legs, and she hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin between them.

The silence stretched out between them. Aria felt compelled to fill it. *Maybe, I could apologize for almost stabbing him earlier. Or maybe make some conversation. What do mages talk about?* Looking over at Oliver, it seemed like he was content to stare into the orange and yellow flames.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Do you miss the boy?" Oliver asked, relighting the fire.

Aria regarded him for a moment. "Yes and no." When Oliver didn't speak, she added, "he was - is - my closest friend" Her voice grew quiet, "he'll be better off without me."

Oliver made a noncommittal noise in response. Silence fell over them, and they sat until the light of dawn replaced the light of the fire.

--

To be continued ...