The Elf Girl (10 page)

He was also the first boy – for all intents and purposes – who didn’t make fun of my ears.

Was it so wrong to feel this way about him after spending so long believing I wasn’t good enough for anyone to show an interest in me? As long as I didn’t go overboard, a little crush couldn’t hurt. A new love interest would fit nicely with my new life, new surroundings, and completely new identity.

“Come on!” Stellan called out after walking for quite some time. He broke into a run and cried, “We’re almost there!”

He pulled me along, and I couldn’t help but feel excited despite my weariness. I was almost home, my real home.

A new energy surged through us as we ran swiftly through the fields, laughing and smiling all the way. It felt great to be running again, especially toward a place I knew I belonged. I could feel the excitement course through me with every quick step.

When we eventually caught up to Addison, we were standing before a lovely little town. Night had fallen, and the moon now shone brightly in the sky, but house lights and campfires scattered across the town allowed me to see a bit more clearly.

The houses appeared to be made of solid wood, attractive and simply built, like log cabins. I felt as if I were looking at a collection of summer cottages.

“Home,” Addison sighed as we approached. “I sure missed it.”

“Me too, Sister,” Stellan agreed.

I smiled at them both, feeling invigorated and almost complete – emotions I hadn’t experienced to their full extent until now. “Me too.”

***

As we walked through the front gate, I gazed upon the arch above that read
Welcome to Birchwood City.
It didn’t look like a city to me. In fact, the grouping of homes reminded me of a town, maybe even more like an olden-day village or colonial settlement.

“I know what you’re thinking, Ramsey,” Addison said, as I joined her after the gate.

“What, can you read my mind?” I inquired.

“Almost,” she said, her eyes sparkling and an expression of wit upon her features. “The look on your face is enough.”

“Okay, then what am I thinking?” I challenged.

“You are wondering how this place could be a city,” Stellan answered for her.

“Wow, you guys are good,” I admitted.

The brother and sister smiled. It was peculiar how similar they appeared even though they had mostly different appearances. Something about their expressions and mannerisms gave away their relation to one another.

“Cities here are a lot different than your old world,” Addison told me. “Remember, we aren’t savages, but we don’t live like humans do today.”

“I can see that now,” I replied, fixing my eyes upon the city that would now be my home.

“But…that’s what you wanted though, right? For it to be just like in your storybooks?” Addison wondered.

Sighing, I nodded in agreement. “Yes. Yes, you’re right. And I love it, but what happened to elves living in forests?”

Addison’s expression darkened and Stellan averted my gaze.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” I asked, wondering why they were suddenly acting so strange.

“We used to live in the forest,” Addison said quietly, “but that was before….”

Stellan cleared his throat. “That was before the war began. Then all elf towns were moved out in the open to avoid fairy attacks, and we were forced to give up our ways, traditions that had lasted for centuries. You see, Ramsey, it’s harder to spy a fairy in the trees, and they are always there, lurking and listening. No elves are safe in the forest anymore.”

“But Zora was still taken,” I pointed out.

“Yes,” Addison said, sighing. “I guess we’ll never get it right.”

“Well, I think it’s a great place, all the same,” I told them, trying to lighten the mood and make them feel better.

They both smiled, and even though I knew a few words wouldn’t take away the pain the war had caused them, at least it brought a little cheer.

Surrounding us were horse-drawn carriages, small stores, and dirt roads, reminding me of a field trip our school took to
The Old World.
There, a town was set up just like this to show how people lived years ago. The cool thing about this place was that people actually lived here. I would live here. It was real, but also magical. Here, the words
real
and
magical
equated to the same idea.

Addison and Stellan led me to a charming wooden cabin decorated with forest green trim and bordered with troughs of flowers. The flowers looked familiar to me, but I could detect a few subtle differences from the ones I was used to in the Human Realm. I wondered if they were the same flowers I knew from my past. Then again, maybe I was wrong; maybe they only appeared to be different. I had to admit that in the Elf Realm even the grass didn’t look the same. Everything was brighter.

“Welcome to our home, Ramsey,” Addison said, smiling contagiously.

“It’s lovely. Who planted the flowers?” I asked curiously.

“I did. Aren’t they appealing?”

I nodded. “Does the Elf Realm have different kinds of flowers than the Human Realm?”

“Just slightly. The names are usually the same, but they may look a little different. We have a few plants here and there that can’t be found in the Human Realm at all. Like Elf Ear,” she explained.

I looked at her questioningly.

“Green flowers that look like pointed ears.”

“Why didn’t I guess that?” I remarked.

Addison giggled and went over to pick a flower out of a trough. “Here, Elf Ear.”

I took it and examined the flower closely. Addison was right. It was a deep emerald green and looked almost like a carbon copy of an elf’s ear. Never before had I ever seen a flower so green, when usually only the leaves of plants were that shade. “Thanks,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

I heard Stellan huff and turned to face him.

“What?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Ramsey, you need to stop staring at the flowers and come inside!” Stellan grabbed my hand again and dragged me into the house. I dropped the Elf Ear and laughed at his urgency.

Inside, the smell of freshly baked bread and fragrant herbal tea drew my eyes to a pretty elfen with long, flowing black hair and pale green eyes. She looked to be about as young as Addison was, and just as dazzling. Wearing a long brown prairie skirt and a green blouse that fit her thin body delicately, she exhibited both femininity and grace.

“Ramsey,” the elfen said, setting down the bread and a tray of tea. “It’s so good to have you home.”

She put her arms around me and hugged me tightly, and I breathed in the floral scent of her, comforting and almost motherly.

“Um, it’s good to be home,” I said, patting her back and trying my best not to sound out of place.

“I am Aaliyah, Addison and Stellan’s mother,” she said, taking a step back. She smiled warmly and took both of my hands.

“Their mother?” It was all I could say.

This elfen could
not
be a mother! She was far too young. She didn’t appear to be a day over eighteen. The family laughed as if it were some sort of joke. I watched them with a puzzled expression.

“Ramsey, did you read the entire section in your book?” Addison asked.

“No…I…I kind of became upset while reading it,” I said, feeling embarrassed.

“It’s quite all right. You can read more later,” Addison said. “You see, after the age of sixteen, elves don’t age physically. Our minds grow older and wiser, but our bodies remain the same.”

“Are we immortal?”

“Sort of. We can live forever, but only if we avoid fatal sicknesses or injuries. Or…”

“What, Addison? Tell me,” I urged.

“Or if we live in the Human Realm for too long,” Stellan finished.

“So if I had stayed in the Human Realm, I would have become mortal?”

“You had until you were sixteen to return to the Elf Realm, because that is when we are fully grown, matured. If you hadn’t, you would have lost your elfen self and lived like any other human.”

“Wow, then it’s a good thing you two found me. I would have never known any of…
this
.”

“Yes, it is. Not only would you have become mortal, but you also wouldn’t have lived very long. Elves that change to human and live in their world cannot handle the change very long. You see, we simply cannot withstand the rapid, ongoing changes of the Human Realm. We prefer a simple, easygoing lifestyle, and we need the surroundings of nature to survive, for it gives us health and happiness. Elves didn’t live very long back when they lived among humans. As towns began to replace the forests, elves began dying off very quickly. You probably would have lived ten years or so after your birthday, but that is all.”

My eyes widened and I felt very dizzy. I had been only a few weeks away from a death sentence. Feeling myself become unbalanced, I tried to steady myself, but I couldn’t find anything to hold on to. Thankfully, my rescuer was there for me once again.

Stellan guided me to a chair where I sat down to calm myself. Aaliyah brought me a glass of water that I gladly drank.

“What happens to elves that go to the Human Realm after sixteen, like you and Stellan did?” I asked Addison, once I was able to catch my breath.

“Elves would be able to survive, although it wouldn’t be easy or pleasant. Not only do elves dislike technology, but we also have trouble adapting smoothly to new surroundings. And the Human Realm is so different, so loud and strange compared to our Realm….”

“Are you all right?” Aaliyah asked me.

“Yes, I’m fine. This has just been a lot to absorb.”

“We understand completely. Addison, you should take her to her home. She needs rest after all of this. All three of you do. You had quite a journey,” Aaliyah instructed.

“Yes, Mother.” Addison nodded and helped me to my feet.

I didn’t know what they meant by “home,” but my mind was on other things.

“One question before I go,” I said, feeling my cheeks begin to redden. “How old are you, Aaliyah? I know it’s rude, but I’m curious.”

“It’s quite all right to ask,” she said. “I turned…what was it, fifty-two this past February?” Addison and Stellan nodded.

“I have to say, you look great for your age,” I admitted whilst yawning, completely dumbfounded.

“Addison, get her home,” Aaliyah said through a chuckle.

Addison nodded and motioned for me to follow her toward the door.

“Can I escort you two?” Stellan inquired.

“If you must,” Addison agreed.

I smiled as he took my hand and led me out the door. It was a short walk to our next destination, which was a cabin similar to Addison’s. This one, however, didn’t have any flowers and appeared unused for some time, lonely and deserted.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Your home,” Addison told me. “It was where your parents lived before they…disappeared.” Addison said
disappeared
very quietly.

“So now…I will live there?” A sense of dread descended upon me. The idea of living alone in a home that once belonged to my absent parents was unsettling.

“Yes. We kept it in the best condition we could. Zora refused to live there, but we couldn’t just abandon it. Come inside,” Addison called, stepping through the doorway.

I felt weary about going into the house that my real family had once lived, a family I did not remember. I was afraid of staying in a strange place, knowing that those who had lived there had disappeared or left against their will. I think Stellan sensed my ill feelings because he nodded slowly as to reassure me. I held his hand tighter and walked forward with him into the cabin.

***

The inside was exceptionally appealing and surprisingly warm. A small fire burned in a stone fireplace, its flames licking the stone surrounding it and giving light to the main room. Finished lighting the fire, Addison got up and walked over to join us.

I could see three more doorways that led to other rooms. The main room had a small kitchen area, a large rug decorated with flowers and vines, a dining table and chairs, and a wooden couch with soft-looking green pillows. Not only did the outside remind me of a summer cottage, but the inside as well.

“Why do elves like green so much?” I asked, observing the color coordination throughout the room.

My question clearly surprised them, because neither of them was quick to answer.

“That is a very interesting question, Ramsey,” Addison commented. “I’ll do my best to answer it, but I don’t really know for sure. I think it’s because elves relate so closely to nature. Greens and browns are very close to nature, so that’s why we use them. We also use floral patterns a lot. I’ve never really thought about it, though; it’s just something we like. An elfin way.” She shrugged.

“Don’t forget to mention every elf has green eyes,” Stellan added.

I hadn’t realized it before, because I hadn’t paid much attention, but Stellan was right. Every elf I had seen had some form of green eyes.

“Thanks for explaining it to me,” I said, considering it all.

Addison nodded and placed a hand on the kitchen table, as though she were checking for dust. “What do you think of your home? I had Blaire come by and clean it while we were away,” Addison told me, looking at her clean hands and appearing satisfied.

“Who’s Blaire?”

“An elfen in the city,” she informed me, but she wouldn’t explain any further. “So how do you like it?”

“It’s great! I love it,” I gushed.

“Come, I’ll show you around.”

Addison took my free hand to lead me into the first room. Stellan stayed behind. I was disappointed to be leaving him, but I was eager to see the rest of my home.

The first room we entered had a large king-sized bed with a green comforter. It held another fireplace, but this one wasn’t lit. Actually, the room looked very dark and sad, cold even. A large wardrobe stood off to the side, as well as a dresser with a vanity mirror.

But everything appeared lifeless, as though it had been neglected for a long time. It seemed empty even with the furniture inside. I knew right away whose room this was…or
used
to be.