Her heart skipped, though she said nothing. Instead, she looked up at the glowing sky where fairy lights floated like stars.
For that single night, in the heart of the elven forest, the burden of her past, the curse, the blood, the fear seemed a little lighter.
And though morning would bring duty and battle once again, Ling Yu allowed herself, just this once, to exist within that fragile peace.
*
*
*
The elven fair reached its peak by the time Ling Yu and her group arrived. The silver lanterns hanging from the towering branches of the elder trees swayed in the soft wind, their glow mingling with the faint shimmer of moonlight filtering through the leaves. The air was fragrant with crushed flowers, sweet fruit wine, and the faint tang of spirit energy. All around, the elves danced barefoot in concentric circles, their laughter echoing like windchimes in the night.
