#aiona

Aoife’s face screwed up in concentration, staring hard at a few of the creeping vines that covered the dead tree. A thin shimmer of pale green flickered from her fingers as she mumbled to herself. For a moment nothing happened. “Come on. . . come on. . .”, Aoife’s arms tightened around her bundle before final - finally! - there was a change! The small vines shifted and little buds formed, bursting into small leaves in several spots surrounding the entrance to Aoife’s hiding spot. The change was not large - the overall effect was barely an inch more coverage for her nook - but Aoife grinned and wiggled happily. Aoife returned to the task of opening up her hurriedly wrapped treat: honey cakes her Da had made just this morning! And some of the berry jam she’d made with Lonan and Solvi a month ago; taking a small knife she smothered one of the cakes in the jam and dug into the cake-

“I see you’re putting what I taught you to good use,” the sudden voice from right outside her hiding spot caused Aoife to nearly choke on her bite of cake. Aoife sputtered a moment before successfully managing to swallow without any cake going down the wrong pipe. Still gingerly holding her bundle of food, she crawled partially out of her hiding spot and looked up to see a figure sitting on top of the fallen tree, completely at ease and staring down at her.    

“. . . .Hello Aiona,” Aoife mumbled. “You have some jam on your face,” Aiona’s wrinkled face broke into a large warm smile, laughing as Aoife smeared the jam further across her cheek while trying to wipe it off. “Come here child, you’re only spreading it,” Aiona reached out a hand to help steady Aoife as she attempted to climb on top of the fallen tree while holding her parcel. “You know, I think I could smell Halvard’s honey cakes cooking yesterday morning. . . and then again today as well! Your family must have gone through them quickly?” Aiona’s question hung in the air a moment as Aoife fiddled with the cloth wrapped around those very cakes. “. . . Solvi and Lonan ate them all yesterday! Before I got any!” Aoife’s face screwed up in a little frown as she clutched the sweets to her chest. 

“Oh my, now that doesn’t sound like Lonan. . . it does sound exactly like Solvi.” Aiona chuckled. “Well. . . .I think they were just hungry. Maybe. They did apologize, and Da made more today. So, I made sure to grab them and bring them out here! So today I’ll get them all since they didn’t share yesterday!” “Hmmm. . . it’s too bad they didn’t share. You think you’ll be able to eat them all yourself? Or do you need any help with that?” Aiona’s laugh lines deepened as she grinned at the tiny gnome girl. “Well. . . . probably. Maybe.” Aoife paused for a second counting the cakes in her package, “I can probably eat half of them. . . I’ll save two for Solvi and Lonan - they need someone to set a good example for them apparently. Would you like two?”