The Black & White Saga

Chapter 8 - The g**g (3)

While Lunette was preparing the milk for the cubs, the kitchen was filled with a warm toasty fragrance.  The bread was almost done baking.  Lunette grabbed the plates, napkins, and silverware to set the table.  The delicious scent of fresh baked bread started to spread from the kitchen to the rest of the house.  As if it were an invitation, everyone slowly started to arrive for dinner.

Sue, Cierra, Lulu, and Delos floated in from the garden with jars that were almost half their height.  They left their jars on the dinner table and went to the kitchen to wash up for supper.  Since they were still waiting for everyone else to arrive, they stayed in the kitchen to chat with Lunette.

“Is that fresh bread I smell?” a smooth voice asked from the entrance of the kitchen.  

“Oh, that smells delicious,” another low, mellow voice added.

Five pairs of eyes turned to look at the two figures approaching from the hallway.  They first saw a slim elf with flaxen hair come into the kitchen with a basket of vegetables.  He was of average height and had a sunny disposition.  With the long sleeves of his airy silver tunic pushed back, and black boots over sleek dark grey pants lightly tapping on the tiled floor, Micah smiled at Lunette and the wood spirits as he dropped off his harvest next to the kitchen sink.  Behind him a tall and slender elf was standing in the entryway of the kitchen.  His long silvery blue hair was tied back into a sleek ponytail, with bangs falling in front of his long pointed ears.  He wore a tight fitting black shirt over dark blue trousers and brown ankle length boots.  His one hand held a bulky package wrapped in a light green cloth, decorated with intricate silvery lavender spirals.  His other hand held a deep blue cloak draped over his shoulder.

Lunette looked at the taller long haired elf near the entrance of the kitchen with large blank eyes and a neutral face.  The manners that have been ingrained in her since childhood stopped her from being rude, but those that knew her well knew that look on her face.  It read, “Who the heck let this guy in?!”  She then turned to glare at Micah, who was washing up at the kitchen sink.  He shrugged his shoulders, and looked up at the ceiling while cleaning the tomatoes and cucumbers he brought back to the house.

“Oh, my.  Look who dropped by,” Delos said with a smirk.

“He hasn’t given up yet, huh?” Cierra said, as Lulu giggled next to her.

“Hi Trey!  Are you here for Lunette again?” Sue asked with curved eyes.

Trey put his bulky package on the kitchen counter in front of Lunette, and put his hand over his chest.  With a wounded look on his face, he said, “Can’t you at least pretend to be happy to see me, Lunette?  Your favorite senior came all the way from the capital just for you.”

Lunette’s mouth twitched as she glared back at him. 

“Nothing good happens when you come,” she responded back with a roll of her eyes.

Trey felt a knife stab his heart and wanted to cry inside when he heard those words.  He helplessly said, “It’s not my fault that your teacher at the academy is best friends with mine.  He comes crying to my master about how his disciple ignores him all the time when they are drunk.  Then they sympathize with each other and plot schemes to bring you back to the academy.  I am just the innocent messenger.”

“That old man… is……. really……….. annoying,” Lunette replied hesitantly.

“Haha, my master is too.  That’s why they are friends,” agreed Trey.  

In his mind, Trey was thanking his lucky stars.  He had to fight his friends and Lunette’s brother for this chance to visit her.  He pulled some strings at the academy, and arranged for his academy mates to be put on a mission, just as their master came around to ask someone to bring Lunette back to the academy.  He was originally a friend of Lunette’s older brother, Christian.  He met her a few times when they visited Chris’ home when they were younger.  Their other friends instantly became admirers of Lunette’s beauty, but Christian gave them a severe warning as her protective older brother, so they behaved themselves.  Trey also admired Lunette’ appearance, but it was with an appreciative eye for beautiful things.  He treated her politely as his friend’s younger sister.  Lunette had a quiet disposition herself, so the two had limited interactions until Lunette also entered the academy two years after them.  She was accepted as a disciple by one of the best teachers in the academy.  Since Trey’s teacher was very good friends with Lunette’s teacher, they often trained together and grouped up to do missions.  The first time Trey saw Lunette do magic, he was mesmerized.  As he got to know her more, his feelings for her also grew.  However, he knew he had to keep his feelings hidden for now, because Lunette was not interested in romance at all.  He watched several of his friends and other students in the academy chase after Lunette, but they were all turned down without exception.  He decided to keep his advances subtle, and cared for her as her academy senior.

The four wood spirits watching on the side gave each other a knowing glance and started giggling.

“Those silly elders must be missing Lunette again,” said Cierra.

“All the teachers at the academy are funny,” added Sue.

“She is one of the most talented magicians to ever enroll in Continental Academy,” said Micah with a laugh.  “Of course they have to make sure to keep her."

“What bribes have you bought this time,” asked Lulu with a wink at the package on the counter.

“Is that all he’s offering?” thought Delos with his arms crossed.

Trey pushed the bulky package wrapped in cloth towards Lunette.  He held his palms together in front of him in an apologetic pose, and winked at her.

“Your favorite dessert box from the best teahouse in the capital,” Trey said in an indulgent voice. 

“Oooooh,” chorused Lulu and Sue.

Lunette unwrapped the package and revealed a three layer box filled with an assortment of mini cakes and treats.  The first layer contained cakes with fillings of fruit, cream, chocolate, or some variation of the three.  The second layer included many different kinds of cookies.  The bottom layer held rows of large chocolate covered strawberries.  Her eyes soften after seeing many of her favorite desserts in the box.  She looked up at Trey, and reluctantly said, “you may stay for dinner.”

Micah, Cierra, Lulu, Sue, and Delos burst out laughing, while Trey helplessly smiled at Lunette.

“I guess the party is in here,” said Sommer, as he walked in with his arms around Freya.  Melinda followed them with a basket of soybeans in her hand.  The three elves made their way into the kitchen.  

“Smells great!” Sam boomed with his deep voice from the hallway.

“Let’s finish setting up for dinner,” Lunette said, seeing as almost everyone has arrived.  She put the treats away in the cooling box.  Freya and Sommer helped Micah chop up the tomatoes and cucumbers, and added them to the salad.  The four wood spirits brought out another set of tableware, and helped Trey bring the dishes from the preservation box to the table.  Melinda took out ingredients from the cabinet and cooling box and whipped together her famous salad dressing.  Lunette took out the bread from the oven, and stacked to steaming, golden brown rolls into a cloth wrapped basket.  Sam went to the garden to get some fresh bamboo sap from today’s harvest.  Savana, Lunette’s fellow human and escapee from the capital, also came down with Nebula, bringing the cubs with them to the dinning room.  The group of 15 settled down around the large wooden table, and started their meal.