06-25-2009, 05:52 AM
1)
She paused a moment to blot her eyes. "I wish your father was here to see this."
"I know."
"Are you sure you can't stay a few more days?"
Daniel shook his head. "I wish I could mother, but... this can't wait."
"I understand."
"Tell father I...um. I..."
She smiled and hugged her boy again. "Of course, Daniel. When the wagons come back, I'll tell him everything. He'll be so proud of you."
Then why does this scare me so much, Daniel wondered.
He glanced over his mother's shoulder and saw Robin in the doorway, a worried expression on her face. When their eyes met, she silently turned away and ducked back into the kitchen.
Daniel gently pulled from his mother's embrace. "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"What are elves like?"
His mother's mouth gaped as she was momentarily caught speechless.
Daniel pressed on. "I kind of remember you telling me stories when I was little, but after that night, you stopped."
He still remembered it. He was ten years old and his mother came in the middle of the night, gathering him up and told him they were going on an adventure.
He should have been excited but something about his parents made him feel scared.
They all spent the night in the woods near town, his father keeping watch while his mother told him all about the stars and the stories their patterns told until he was so tired he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.
He remembered next morning when they returned, he saw their house had been torn apart. Everything was smashed or broken, and there were even signs of a fire that never really caught.
He remembered that for the next year or so they moved around a lot.
It wasn't until much later he learned about the gangs roaming that night. Defenders of the Crown they called themselves, but they were little more than lynch mobs. It was sheer luck one of his father's friends had warned them about what was coming; that on that first night of the month, all over the kingdom, the Defenders were sending a message.
From what he heard, his family were some of the few lucky ones.
Afterwards, the lords made a few arrests, but it was only a token gesture; the damage had been done.
Daniel grew to hate that night.
"Please," he asked again. "What are elves like?"
His mother hesitated, trying to find the words. Before she could speak, there was a gentle knock on the doorframe.
"Forgive the intrusion, milady," said Marcus, bobbing his head respectfully, "But we'll be leaving around sunrise, and these two will need plenty of rest. I believe it's best we three turned in."
"Of course. Daniel, you have had a very long day-"
You have no idea, Daniel added to himself.
"- and I'll answer your question later when there's more time."
"But Mom-"
"Please Daniel, another time."
Reluctantly, Daniel relented. Despite his rest, he still felt weak. More sleep couldn't hurt.
She paused a moment to blot her eyes. "I wish your father was here to see this."
"I know."
"Are you sure you can't stay a few more days?"
Daniel shook his head. "I wish I could mother, but... this can't wait."
"I understand."
"Tell father I...um. I..."
She smiled and hugged her boy again. "Of course, Daniel. When the wagons come back, I'll tell him everything. He'll be so proud of you."
Then why does this scare me so much, Daniel wondered.
He glanced over his mother's shoulder and saw Robin in the doorway, a worried expression on her face. When their eyes met, she silently turned away and ducked back into the kitchen.
Daniel gently pulled from his mother's embrace. "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"What are elves like?"
His mother's mouth gaped as she was momentarily caught speechless.
Daniel pressed on. "I kind of remember you telling me stories when I was little, but after that night, you stopped."
He still remembered it. He was ten years old and his mother came in the middle of the night, gathering him up and told him they were going on an adventure.
He should have been excited but something about his parents made him feel scared.
They all spent the night in the woods near town, his father keeping watch while his mother told him all about the stars and the stories their patterns told until he was so tired he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore.
He remembered next morning when they returned, he saw their house had been torn apart. Everything was smashed or broken, and there were even signs of a fire that never really caught.
He remembered that for the next year or so they moved around a lot.
It wasn't until much later he learned about the gangs roaming that night. Defenders of the Crown they called themselves, but they were little more than lynch mobs. It was sheer luck one of his father's friends had warned them about what was coming; that on that first night of the month, all over the kingdom, the Defenders were sending a message.
From what he heard, his family were some of the few lucky ones.
Afterwards, the lords made a few arrests, but it was only a token gesture; the damage had been done.
Daniel grew to hate that night.
"Please," he asked again. "What are elves like?"
His mother hesitated, trying to find the words. Before she could speak, there was a gentle knock on the doorframe.
"Forgive the intrusion, milady," said Marcus, bobbing his head respectfully, "But we'll be leaving around sunrise, and these two will need plenty of rest. I believe it's best we three turned in."
"Of course. Daniel, you have had a very long day-"
You have no idea, Daniel added to himself.
"- and I'll answer your question later when there's more time."
"But Mom-"
"Please Daniel, another time."
Reluctantly, Daniel relented. Despite his rest, he still felt weak. More sleep couldn't hurt.