Chapter 33 - Althaea’s Past

Althaea found herself giddy with excitement as she drug her young apprentice with her along the busy streets of Adruil.

Feeling in the sights and clamour of the City she found herself relieved to have returned to civilisation.

The years spent living simply in the small elven tribe began to grow torturous to her, though she admitted the change of pace was refreshing at first, she was a city girl at heart and was not like Arwen who would happily spend his days in such a mundane way of life.

She did not criticise or frown upon people who would prefer to live in a quiet rural place where it was a tight community in which everyone had a role to play, nonetheless this life was not for her who enjoyed the bright sights and boisterous nature of large Cities and Towns.

Althaea found herself humming a tune she heard from a bard once as she navigated the busy streets with her apprentice, seeming completely at home at the City.

She had been to Adruil before many years ago with Arwen so already had the places in mind to go too. Thinking about Arwen she looked back at the tag along, Xandas the Father of her young apprentice.

Feeing a bit annoyed at him clearly being sent here to supervise her, she stuck her tongue out at him only for him to merely lift the corner of his lips slightly.

Deciding she had let out her childish urges for the time. She looked down at her little apprentice who to her amusement was gawking at the sights everywhere they went.

It was times like these that reminded her that Ava was a genuine child despite the way she carried herself at times. Sometimes she acted so well beyond her years it made her have to adopt a more stern and appropriate demeanour in order to not embarrass herself as the Master.

She was very young for an elf therefore was not expecting to have an apprentice thrown onto her suddenly, but Arwen was right about one thing that she couldn't refuse her after seeing her talents.

She even found herself growing to care for her like the little sister that she never had. Althaea knew she had it rough growing it up, something even Arwens kindness and care for her couldn't fill.

Althaea found herself great full to him. She was an orphan before Arwen had found her, she was a lone elven child who had been abandoned in a community that loathed her.

They took responsibility and provided the bare minimum for her because a kind Matron had taken pity on her. However this did not stop the jeers and abuse she had suffered within her early years.

She was a lone elf child living among beast-kin within a distance Kingdom far from here, she could not remember the faces of her parents and just knew she was left there at a young age.

Upon seeing Arwen for the first time her childish eyes were full of excitement finally meeting someone who was like her.

However she soon realised the difference, Arwen wasn't shunned or treated like a burden, on the contrary the ones who had similarly treated with her with indifference stared at him with a respectful almost reverent gaze despite his obvious Elven heritage.

It made her yearn for this feeling. She begged and pleaded him to take her in as his disciple. He refused saying being by his side was no place for a child.

At the time she did not understand him, in her eyes she had once again been abandoned. She did not know what being a Druid truly meant, the duties Arwen has to carry with him everywhere he goes.

Nonetheless to the beast-kin villagers the moment she begged Arwen they felt she was shaming the Village saviour and disgraced the Village. That day she was beaten severely by one of the adult villagers who had a particular dislike for her.

Luckily for her Arwen witnessed the act and heavily reprimanded the Villager. She could see the respect he had for Arwen but the hateful, spiteful glare he gave her shown the beast-kin put all the blame onto her.

Arwen let out a sigh seeing the Villagers hate towards her. These beast-kin were simple people known as nothing but savages to their Elven neighbours who were their heated rivals.

However this hate festered to the point they were now taking it out on an innocent child who had nothing to do with their plight.

Arwen knew she could never belong here as the Village would never accept her so gave her an offer she could not refuse which is for her to leave with him.

The Village was happy for her to go an unwanted burden finally gone. Only the Matron, a few other kind beast-kin and the children who had still retained their innocence wished her well as she left.

Arwen initially intended to just take her where she could be loved, cherished fitting into a new family. Yet the days grew by and he became attached leading to her staring at him with watery eyes with her begging him to not abandon her like her parents when he was close to leaving her at an orphanage.

It seemed she hit a sore point. Arwen was reluctant knowing his line of work did not allow him to take in a child, however he discovered she had good mage talent and knowing she was of the correct age to start being tutored he took her to the Academy.

The years went by and she developed from an apprentice Mage into a capable Magus of her own right. Arwen would frequently visit her during her studies, she would be looked after when he would be called upon to do his duties as a Druid.

Those years were the best of her life. She developed connections she never had the opportunity to make at the Village, had some amazing memories and grew into a respected figure like Arwen.

It was then she decided to go out with Arwen on his Druidic duties now that she was capable of defending herself.

Arwen was reluctant at first, he fully saw her as his adopted daughter at this point not wanting to put her in any danger, although they were not related in blood he felt like family.

Althaea insisted though and she was very stubborn when she wanted something. Eventually he agreed and she had been travelling with him many times going around the continent on all sorts of adventurers, she helped a great deal of people from all sorts of races, backgrounds and she glowered in the looks she was envious of Arwen receiving when she was a child.

It all led to that fateful task within the mysterious and strange group of elves lands.

Not much was known about them but some very influential person had deep suspicions about them which the Druidic order was interested in verifying.

Unfortunately it seemed the strange elves accepted their invite into their territory but they were told to remain in some backwater Tribe of insignificant value to them until they were given permission to visit the capital.

No surprise that never came and she found herself spending time in a community she likened too much to her childhood.

The Tribe had far too much faith into the ones lording over them for her liking, though she supposed they offered a stable life to the simple tribes people which was enough for most.

At least she ended up finding something interesting in the tribe at the end though she thought staring down at Ava.

Her little apprentice was a peculiar one, at times she talked far beyond her years that even being hyper talented could not explain. Either way she couldn't deny she made things more exciting, she never saw herself as a teacher before but she could not deny she was enjoying her role so far.

Watching Ava grow brought herself a certain thrill, the joy of creating something greater than yourself made her realise what drove her teachers back at the academy.

Putting these thoughts to her back of her mind, it was time to finally get her apprentice out of those drabby clothes.

She felt it was a shame that such a cute child was forced into the dreary rags of the tribes people. It was time to introduce her apprentice to some good outfits, she had an old friend in the city who she would sure love to have a great model for her designs.

Finally they reached her friends clothing shop and it was time to go inside. Hopefully she can stock up on a new wardrobe of clothes, some of her best was ruined in that forest and she urgently needed replacements.

Grabbing Ava hand and nodding to Xandas behind her indicating this was the place she entered the shop eagerly.