When Hill arrived at Lynn's home, he understood where his friend had gotten the practical streak that set him apart from other elves. His parents were not the dependable elders Hill had imagined.
Children raised by parents like that either grew up especially chaotic or especially self-reliant.
His Half-Elf father had the air of an artist, and one look at their home showed it was something special.
The elves of the Star Mountains lived rather simply. They had no worries about food or drink, but they lacked the means to live as lavishly as the elves of Evermeet.
The stone houses were spacious enough by human standards, but for elves, who were artistic and romantic by nature, they were a little too rough.
Yet compared with their neighbors' vine-covered walls, the delicate murals of plants across the outside of Lynn's stone house had a beauty all their own.
Liss led Hill toward the house. "We wanted to live in treehouses at first, but there weren't enough large trees in the Star Mountains for every family to have one. So, to be fair, we built stone houses instead.
"But isn't ours especially beautiful? Even among elven artists, Alessio is one of the best!"
As Hill drew closer, he gazed at the murals in admiration. Life seemed to surge through every leaf and blade of grass painted there. Lynn's father, Alessio, truly was a great artist.
The inside was much the same. It looked ordinary at first glance, but carefully crafted works of art stood in every corner. Alessio could do more than paint; he was an excellent sculptor too.
And... Hill watched Alessio head straight for the kitchen as soon as they entered. Apparently, he did the cooking as well.
"Don't mind Alessio. We aren't making anything complicated, just traditional elven