My Spring with the Elves

A short while ago my mother sent me a rather confusing text asking about “That story you wrote with the woman joining the magic and getting dressed like a doll by the existing member?” Which certainly sounded like something I could have written. After a phone call, and a bit of searching I found what she was referring to. While in hindsight I could have concluded the chapter, a bit better but that can append in a later edition, and there is some editing that should be done. However as I’m unsure of where this piece is currently publicly archived I am moving it over here. So that it may stay publicly available. One day I’ll get back to this thread from January of 2021, probably sooner rather than later.

I took the advice of my friend Silver this new year and found a troop of elves to travel with. After a little searching I found the Harmonious Sisters a group of seven elves who were heading west. When I presented myself to the group and asked to join Avayna excitedly accepted me into the group on one condition. I change my wardrobe. At first I wasn’t sure why she was having me change my wardrobe. I was always considered one of the better dressed witches wherever I traveled. It was young Krinna who was able to explain it to me while the two of us were shopping. While my wardrobe was nice it was too formal for the group so I could draw some unwanted attention to the group. At first I was a bit nervous about having a 15 year old pick out an entire new wardrobe for me. I had been wearing more or less the same outfit for two years straight. I had a few gray and white dresses and my brown witch robes that went over them.

Krinna was unimpressed with what I already had to put it mildly. I had noticed the more revealing and lighter dresses the group wore. She then explained that in Harmonious Sisters the youngest member, who was her at the time, was in charge of dressing the elder members. This is a fairly common practice amungst elven travelers such as the Harmonous Sisters. Elves do this to help keep their outfits varied and As I was older than her she was going to be getting me a new wardrobe. If I didn’t let her pick or didn’t wear what she chose Avayna could use that as grounds for tossing me out of the sisters. I knew silver had spent the better part of a year traveling with a troop like this so I went along with it. With that all said I was a bit nervous about having a 14 year old pick out an entire new wardrobe for me. I was worried she would dress me too girly; after all I was blossoming into a rather beautiful young woman.

She led me into town looking for a tailor. As we walked along the streets looking into all the shops that weren’t tailors I noticed how we both were being looked at. Some were just looking at her, the younger boys mostly with lecherous gases not that anyone would blame them. Others were looking both of us: men, young women, girls, and older boys probably trying to decide if I was her older sister or just a friend. However the most unnerving sets of eyes were the mothers who were all locked on me with pure disapproval. Unlike the lust filled youths or the curious folk these eyes were all singling out me. I understood this when they didn’t look away when I looked in their general direction. There was this one older woman, she could have been my grandmother, who when my eyes met her said something I’ll never forget, “If she isn’t your sister I’d run if I were you witch. Nothing good will come from associating a proper young woman like yourself with her kind.” I was too proud to react to her statement but I am not too proud to say those words still pain me. At the time I had yet to have the experiences to argue with her, but now I have proof that would support her. To this day I believe the response Krinna gave I think is the best response, “Let the youth be youthful, let her make this mistake so she can speak from experience and give a better information to her daughters and your great granddaughters.” That’s why I started journaling that turned into the notes for this chapter.

Once we found a tailor my concerns about how immature her tastes were resurfaced. As we entered the shop Krinna immediately pulled me away from the mono-colored dresses. Instead she pulled out a spotted, striped and floral sun dress and wrestled me into a dressing room. With both of us in the cramped dressing room she started to strip me. I was not ready for the intensity of that experience, I am still unsure how much of it was Krinna’s physicality and how much was magically induced. Regardless I ended up naked, bright red, with my heart beating so loud and so fast I couldn’t think. Once I got a handle on my emotions Krinna’s laughter brought it back to the surface. Krinna than wrestled into the spotted dress and pulled me out in front of the mirrors. After giving her a twirl the event repeated but with the floral dress and again with the stripes before she returned me to my comfortable solid slate colored dress. She than sat me down and I was then given a break as she went and searched the shop.

When Krinna returned with her first selection of dresses I was pleasantly surprised. Judging by the others in the troop I was expecting short and revealing dresses, instead I was given fairly modest dresses in vibrant colors with bold patterns. Trying them on I was impressed with most of them, one was too large and another too small a few measurements later the larger dress was taken in and I had six new dresses. Krinna than took me to another tailor, this is where my fears came into reality. I will leave the details of what happened in that shop to your imagination. When we left I had five more dresses that were revealing at the most modest to downright indecent. Flustered, confused and partly out of breath I was lead back to the caravan I would be living out of with the six elves for the duration of my stay.

The caravan, named the Lemon Lotus, was based off of a large steam truck with three levels, the main floor was a kitchen and the bath tub, the second floor was a half floor and it was used for storage, the third and top floor extended over the cab of the truck and was one giant bedroom. I was told to store my bag and given a section for my dresses to hang and we started west. Their caravan had suspension which made the ride bearable but sense we were following a layline I quickly took to my broom. To prevent the elves from getting upset with me I took all of them on a flight. They then insisted I learn to drive the caravan. Driving is a much more involved process than I was expecting. There are a lot of gauges, levers, pedals and things to look out for. Much to my relief I was quickly removed from driving, and allowed to scout a head with my broom. I was told to bring Talee along with me and check the road ahead for other travelers, fresh water, towns on other branches or animals. When I had taken Talee on the short flight she enjoyed herself, however when we went higher and faster to cover the area Avayna wanted she got scared. She dealt with this fear by clinging to me, this made flying slightly more difficult but we eventually found a good spot to stay the night.

With the Lemon parked and cooking dinner was a communal affair. Each of the six had a task to help make dinner. I was put in charge of getting out the table and setting it. It was a simple enough task that I finished in time. Dinner to my surprise was a mix of pork and vegetables stewed to perfection. After dinner everyone helped clean the kitchen, wash dishes and put the table away. Afterwards the bath was drawn and heated; I assumed that each girl would get their turn in the bath so I went outside to respectfully wait my turn. This was a mistake, I was grabbed by Avayna and Talee before I could leave and then I was stripped once again by Krinna before being tossed into the bath with the rest of the girls. Looking back I think that communal bath time is something that I will miss now that I’m no longer traveling with the Sisters. In the bath we washed ourselves, each other and we talked. Usually when I bathe I tend to do it as quickly as possible. The Sisters and through the stories they told, it seems all elves see bathing as a time to relax and unwind, and is best shared with your friends and family.

Thanks for reading Grathew’s Gazette! If you feel so inclined the share and subscribe buttons are below.