"Trying to be secretive huh?" Rey pressed.
"Its a gift."
Rey was at first surprised but in the next instant, he was filled with joy.
"I always knew that out of all people, you cared for me the most. Would you care revealing what type of gift it is? I am dying with curiosity," Rey spoke in an excited manner. In response he received a glare.
"What! Is the gift not for me?" Rey asked.
"..." Alaric was speechless as his friend kept feigning ignorance.
"She probably won't be coming though. You can just hand over the gift to me," Rey offered.
"Damn you! You truly trying to get on my nerves, right? Fine!" Alaric spoke raising his voice.
Rey was unaware of what his friend would do to him and in the next moment, Alaric's hand glowed and a flash of light settled on his lips. Rey was shocked as his eyes widened. He wanted to start another banter asking what kind of thing was that or whether his friend was now falling for men.
But his already wide eyes widened when he spoke but he could not hear his voice.
"What did you do to me?" He asked but only his lips moved and no sound came. Rey stumbled backwards. His friend had really taken drastic measures this time.
He attempted letting out muffled noises but it proved useless as nothing came out. He tried many attempts and even went to his knees and begged his friend his expression, that of a wronged child.
But how could Alaric yield. He gave a knowing gaze and asked a simple question.
"How do you expect me to know what you are saying when I can't even hear you words?" Rey was enraged as he started cursing but all his attempts turned fruitless.
His gaze softened and he slowly turned pitiful. He then held Alarics leg swearing he was not going to let him go. Alaric who was in a hurry sighed as his friend continued to beg and do some pleading gesture and he finally gave in and released Rey.
Rey heaved a sigh and a warm expression appeared on his face which then drastically changed to that of anger.
"Damn you Alaric! You dare pull tricks on me? I will have my revenge very soon and you will certainly suffer in my hands! You think you are strong but don't think I can't have my revenge," Rey continued.
Alaric face palmed. Rey had resumed to his usual chatterbox state. He sighed and gave up. Even now, he had not regretted at all. He gave up and left Rey and headed to his room.
He closed the door and went to his room. His roommates had already left and he had some time alone. He lay on bed and his thoughts went astray. He could not help but think.
'Will she come back or is she gone for the holiday. I wish to see her one more time before I can let her go. I have to prepare the gift for her.'
Now that he mentioned the gift, he knew exactly what he was making for her. He stood up from his seat and went to his study table. He pulled out a blank plain paper and took a pencil and ruler.
He then started drawing lines on the paper and they later turned to appear like patterns. The patterns were easier to read at first and as he continued for hours, they only got complex and complicated in a way that someone would even think that it was just some random lines. Only an observant eye could tell that this was a pattern.
Five hours went by and he soon placed the paper aside. It was only that the lines were straight in some parts and someone would even mistake them as contours. This was only the beginning. Alaric then took another blank paper and started drawing on it.
Time flew by and at the start, it appeared that the patterns were similar but it was evident that they were not the more he proceeded. All this time, he did not take a rest and he was almost done when he heard a knock on the door.
He could not help but feel irritated by Rey. Had he not already had enough of his antics? They never fought before but he was not going to hold back. He stood up and slowly walked to the door.
He could not help but feel that Rey was disciplined for he had only knocked once while on other times, he usually knocked hundreds of times until Alaric opened the door.
Alaric reached the door and he was surprised that it was not Rey who was knocking but someone else. A smile appeared on his face and all negative thoughts disappeared.
Standing at the door was Aurora. She had changed her clothes and dressed in a white dress that had thin straps hanging on her shoulders revealing her fragile arms. Her hair fell behind her in a waterfall manner cascading and resting on her back.
Her delicate face showing hints of joy and her eyes could not hide her joy. Her lips seemed to be trembling as if she had dressed this way for him. She calmly waited as he observed her.
Alaric could net help but turn his gaze to her slender neck and he could not help but gulp. The dress seemed to be specifically chosen for it showed part of her chest and also some cleavage. A smirk could not help but form on his lips.
His eyes finally landed on her hands which were clasped on her chest and it appeared she was carrying something hugging it. It was a wooden box around a meter long and thirty centimeters wide and high.
He could not help but wonder what it is that she was carrying. It appeared oversized and overweight for her but that could be underestimating her. Alaric looked at her fingers which held the box firmly.
"Hi," she spoke with trembling lips. Being scrutinized was not a comfortable feeling and she had gotten nervous wondering what his judgement was. Alaric was pulled from his thoughts as he looked at her with a smile.
"Hello," he replied as he stepped aside indicating she was free to enter. Then he continued his voice unable to hide his joy of seeng her. "I thought that you had already left with that general."
Aurora walked in and smiled at his question. It appeared that he too was in need to meet her. They had been separated too soon and had no chance to speak further. Alaric closed the door behind him and he led her towards his room and he sat at the study table gesturing her to sit on the bed which she obliged.
"I still had some few things to wrap up here. I also can't leave without saying goodbye," she replied to his question and Alaric could not help but smile at her confession.
"I am happy you chose not to leave right away," Alaric said and picked the pencil.
"What is it that you are carrying?" He asked his attention on her.
She was silent for a while and replied trying to hide her joy.
"Your reward," she spoke. She really cherished it and even after she sat down, she could not let it go.
"That was fast," Alaric said not expecting them to find it too soon.
"You can open it and see what I requested."
Aurora obliged and she was shocked to find out that it was but a mere wood. But her sight observed that it was hard wood. Too hard at that. She could not help but wonder what use was the wood. She recognized it but the name seemed to hide somewhere behind her mind.
She removed it and walked towards the study table carrying the wood. She then placed it on the table and saw the intricated patterns on one paper and the other one he was working on.
"What is this?" She asked, her interest surely piqued.
"Why don't you take a guess?" He replied with a mysterious tone.
"They appear like contours but they are actually patterns," she said after observing for a few seconds and Alaric was impressed.
"Well, if you can recongize what it is, I can promise you a reward," Alaric said with a playful smile.
Aurora could sense the mischief in his tone and the challenge hidden in his words. She looked at him with a determined gaze as she picked the paper and started onserving it.
Alaric glanced at her and smiled. Now he was going to test her and also have some time to continue what he was doing. He continued drawing the patterns and took occasional glances at her who was engrossed in the diagram.
Had anyone been in her place, they would still be stuck on the thoughts that these were contours and even try reading them but Aurora was able to discern that they were patterns which was a huge leap towards discerning what it was.
But the next step was as difficult and it was already a few minutes when she discovered the first complete pattern. She had discerned that they were patterns but she had not found any complete pattern.
This was because the patterns were too many and some patterns were not easy to identify as what she thought as incomplete patterns were harbouring complete patterns which she was yet to realize.
Seeing the first pattern, she could not help as a beautiful smile graced her lips...