Chapter 28: A Gift

Dolores shot up from her pillow. Terror filled her words. "No! You can't!" Dolores asserted, "I don't think your Packs territory is safe right now. For you to go to a village that was massacred and never rebuilt. Who knows what could be lurking there! The town is probably taken over by rogues or even worse… taken over by vampires or any number of creatures!"

"Well, I'm not safe here either, so..." Ellie shrugged her shoulders before continuing. "I can't go on and pretend that Polly is my mother now that I know the truth, and I would bet she even finds insisting that I am her daughter impossible now that the Queen knows and rumors are spreading.”

Ellie rubbed at her temples, her hair falling over her face. Dolores opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. inhaling deeply, she tried again, only getting three words out: "But what about…."

She stopped when she realized the selfishness of her words. She wanted to ask Ellie what about her? How could Ellie leave her too? Was she destined to be alone?

A small soft palm rested over her hands. Dolores looked to find Ellie smiling warmly at her with knowing eyes. Dolores grabbed Ellie's palm. Lacing their fingers together and squeezing a little too tightly.

"I'm sorry that I will leave you alone," Ellie whispered. "and that's why I must have a goodbye gift to give you before I leave."

"Ellie, I know you want to find your mothers remains and I promise one day you will, I will help you!" Dolores pleaded “But the Palace gossip is only about Polly going mad. If word was to spread that you left to find your real mothers body, an unforeseen danger would happen.

"I suppose that's true." Ellie pondered, “But what am I supposed to do until then? I can’t stay with Polly.”

Dolores bit at her thumb nail. “Well you can stay with me remember? And you can train! So that when the time comes to find your mothers remains, you’ll be ready for anything.”

Ellie needed at her bottom lip before speaking again. “Alright, but only because you asked. I will tell the King that I am going to practice. I'll tell them I'm doing survival training and when I’m not training I’ll be here with you"

Ellie's eyes lit up at the thought of training. Dolores snorted, she knew Ellie loved nothing more than training and becoming stronger.

"You know what!" Ellie squeaked, jumping out of bed and slipping on her slippers. "I think I should give you my gift right now. Come with me!"

Dolores raised both brows, reaching them as high as they could on her forehead. Ellie giggled, shoving Dolores off the bed with a light bump.

"Oops, sorry." Ellie laughed harder, as did Dolores.

Dolores stood, rubbing her backside. She eyed Ellie curiously, remembering that Ellie was still just a child, barely 15 years old. Dolores shook her head in surrender. Ellie's youth made her bold, and who was Dolores to stand in her newly found sister's way.

"Sneaking out of our room at night, huh? Feeling adventurous, are we?" Dolores teased and caught a shadow of a blush spread across Ellie's face. "Well, I love this idea!" Dolores grinned, showing her white teeth.

Slipping on her own slippers, Dolores and Ellie quietly opened the bedroom door and made their way to the front of Diana's quarter. Quickly wrapping their heavy cloaks around them, they opened the door and stepped out into the night, with only a lantern between them to lead the way.

Walking back through the courtyard, the winter night wind nipped at their noses. Dolores breathed in the crip, gentle air sparking memories of her and Jasper. The first time they had meant in the clearing past her village and last night when he had told her he had to leave her for her safety.

Dolores huffed out a breath in frustration. Jasper had hardly been gone for 24 hours. How was she going to survive without him with no known date? Dolores reached for Ellie's swaying hand, holding onto her icy fingers with her own. At least she had convinced Ellie to stay and not leave her behind.

Dolores swallowed down the sob that threatened to explode within her. Now wasn't the time for self-pity. She needed to enjoy all the time she could with Ellie. She hadn't known Jasper was leaving until he was gone. This time she would savor every moment Ellie granted her until the time came for her to say goodbye to Ellie as well.

Dolores followed Ellie back towards the Palace, an unseen confused expression filling her face.

"Are we going back to the Palace?" Dolores questioned.

"To my quarters."

"Why didn't we go through the servant's tunnels then? We wouldn't be shivering if we took that route." Dolores shattered, pressing her shoulder to Ellies for warmth.

Ellie chortled. "Well, actually, that way would have been longer. My moth...I mean, Polly and I's quarters are on the far side of the Palace. Far away from almost everyone and everything."

Dolores caught the sadness coated within Ellie's words but said nothing. She followed Ellie as she took Dolores around the back of the Palace to a vine covered door.

They stopped in front, and Dolores wondered how Ellie planned to open the giant old door that looked like the last time the knob had been turned, was well before even the Alpha King's reign. As she was about to ask, Ellie detangled herself from Dolores and made her way to a small hidden door beside the massive one. The entrance was just big enough for Dolores to squeeze through, following Ellie on her hands and knees.

When Dolores finally made her way through the tight tunnel, she stood to see an empty seated area. Tarnished silver curtains, shut soundly hung from the floor length windows surrounding the main room. What could have been a beautiful space was cold and empty. Not even one painting adorned the walls. All Dolores could see was rows upon rows of various weapons.

Dolores took in the space before catching Ellie shifting back and forth. Not for the first time did Dolores wonder how Ellie had become the sweet, kind hearted young female she was today if she grew up not as a Princess but as a warrior in training.

Ellie took the lanterning Dolores had been holding while Ellie had sealed back up her secret entrance. Dolores wondered if that was the escape Ellie used when meeting Dolores and training with her in archery. Opening her mouth to ask, she noticed that Ellie was frantically moving back and forth through the weapons room, looking for...something.

Dolores silently watched, afraid to breathe too loudly in this dank room as Ellie looked under a stack of poorly folded hunting suits, unfolding them even further when she was unable to find whatever she was looking for. Dolores tilted her head as Ellie scurried across the room, searching behind weapons and target boards.

"Ellie?" Dolores called.

Ellie turned to face Dolores at the sound of her name. Her searching abruptly stopped. Dolores raised her palms up as she shrugged her shoulders, a silent *what's going on*? Gesture.

Ellie sighed in defeat, "Come with me." Taking Dolores's hand, Ellie led her towards a stairway that snaked down instead of up. The air seemed to grow colder the further they went down the spiraling staircase, the only light the small lantern Ellie held in front of them to map the way. A droplet of fear slid down Dolores's spine that quickly turned to amazement when they arrived at a second weapons room.

Where the one upstairs was daunting, this room was exquisite. Upstairs the drapes were faded, and the thick coat of dust lay on every surface. Here the room was kept immaculate. Though there were no windows, a giant fireplace sat on the far end of the room, along with lanterns around the perimeter.

Dolores brushed her fingers across the hung weapons, all exotic and flawlessly kept. Sliding a finger along a two double-edged blade connected to the ends of a single handle. Dolores was mesmerized by the curved blade that looked as if the sword would undoubtedly slash through any opponent, sifted or not.

Ellie cleared her throat, startling Dolores from her daze. Turning to face Ellie, she found her standing in front of a beautiful decorated silver chest. Moving closer, she saw that Ellie was practically jumping up and down in excitement, her hands tucked behind her back.

Smiling like the girl she was, Ellie revealed what was hidden behind her back, presenting to Dolores a silver crossbow ameliorated with aquamarines.

"I want to give this to you as a goodbye gift, or I guess a thank you gift now." Ellie said, handing the crossbow to Dolores. "Her name is Faith... The weapon was forged by Dwarves who live on another continent. She's a masterpiece."

Dolores's heart filled with so much love for Ellie she was sure her chest would crack open. "I cannot accept such a precious gift," Dolores breathed, offering the beautiful crossbow back.

"Please take it," Ellie begged. "This bow was given to me as a 13th birthday present from...Polly." Ellis seemed to shrink into herself as she proceeded to speak. "I… it is hard for me to explain, but I still, somehow, love her, if you can call a child's devotion to someone love. So my hope is that by giving you the crossbow I will be taking the first steps to cut her out of my life forever.

The room grew silent, and Dolores stood rooted with her arms outstretched, the crossbow between her and Ellie.

Ellie placed her hand over Dolores's and slowly pushed the crossbow into Dolores's chest until Dolores was hugging the weapon over her heart.

"Please, take my gift."