Profile - Blue Jay Grass

Blue Jay Grass

Creator: Rachel Parsons

Race: Nelfkin

Age: 23

Height: 4'2"

Gender: Female

Codex Crystal: Blue carries one of six crystals created by the gods to protect the realm. The Codex crystal stores any information learned by its user, operating as a sort of super computer. The user can access any information stored in the Codex simply by thinking about it. This crystal was previously worn by Leffi, a human scholar who used it to further her studies. 

General Appearance: Like most nelfkins, Blue has a somewhat childish appearance. She has a round face with gray eyes that sometimes appear to change colors. Her hair, which she keeps in a long braid, is dirty blonde. She is slim but stocky, and stronger than she looks.

She wears a cotton blouse and brown trousers with a pair of suspenders, and a pair of heavy leather boots crafted by her own people. Over this, she wears a blue coat with a hood, and usually carries a pack as well. On her belt, she keeps a variety of useful items, such as a dagger and a flask of alcohol. When she can get it, she fills this flask with Nelfkin Cheer, a special draught from her home that is known to be especially potent.

Blue has very large, pointed ears, as do all nelfkins. Her ears sometimes move, indicating her emotions. For instance, if she is sad, they might droop down. If she is intrigued by something, her ears will sometimes perk up. She is very self-conscious of her ears, which are larger than elf ears and are often mocked by others. Sometimes she wears the hood on her coat over them to hide them, particularly if she is concerned that someone might comment on them.

Personality: Blue is, foremost, a very practical person. Having grown up in the Nelfkin Colony, where resources are scarce, she endeavors to always have some food, drink and money on her person. Despite this, she has no great love for coin. Most of the money she earns, she sends back to her mother who still lives in the colony.

Along with being very practical, she has a highly analytical mind. She likes to learn about new things, without much discretion as to subject matter. She is very good with numbers and languages, and reads voraciously but seldom has access to books, as they are a rare commodity in the realm. This aspect of her personality is shared by most nelfkins, as the race as a whole has a thirst for knowledge.

Despite her practical nature, she is very sensitive when it comes to matters of injustice, and once she is angry, it is difficult to calm her back down. As a nelfkin, she has been mocked or disregarded since her childhood, and so she has a burning need to prove herself as capable as anyone else. When she sees others treated poorly, she cannot help but have great sympathy for them and will go out of her way to help. When asked for a favor, it is very hard for Blue to say no. She is quite caring and can at times be insightful about the behavior of others.

She also has a sense of humor and enjoys a good prank, but seldom tells the jokes or plays the pranks herself. She enjoys listening to her companions' tales, unless it is Sir Gwuryn telling them, who she finds a bit too crude.

Above all, Blue is passionate. She is driven by the plight of her people, the memory of her late father and her firm sense of right and wrong.

Occupation: Blue is a guide for hire. In return for monetary compensation, she helps others navigate the realm. As such, she has traveled the realm a great deal and has visited many cities and towns. She has committed a large number of maps to memory. Her ability to absorb and retain information aids her in her work. Although most nelfkins never leave their colony, the few that do often have similar lines of work and like to travel, such as Blue's younger brothers.

Weapon: Although she can be somewhat volatile at times, Blue is generally a pacifist. She does not like killing other sentient beings, if it can be avoided, and so instead of a blade, she carries a heavy staff. She can weild this staff to great success in a fight, and is also fairly capable with hand-to-hand combat.

Family: Her father, Oak Grass, was a guide like Blue before he died on a journey. He was the one to rediscover the Reader stone, which he gave to his daughter for safekeeping. Blue's mother, Flower Grass, still lives in the Nelfkin Colony.

She has two brothers, Ardan and Bigelow. Ardan is also a guide and spends most of his time away from the colony, but sends money back to the colony as well. Bigelow, being the youngest of the three siblings, spends more time at home, but does journey on his own from time to time.

Her uncle's son, Jake Field, lives with Blue's mother. Flower took him in after his parents were killed. He is about four years old.

Religion/Spirituality: Like all nelfkins, Blue is a follower of Jilna, the goddess of luck and ambition. Some say that Jilna created the nelfkins herself. To the nelfkins, she is known simply as Jill, as they have a penchant for shortening names. While Blue follows Jill and occasionally prays to her, it doesn't have much affect on her day to day life. Nelfkins do not make sacrifices to Jilna, nor do they have many holidays associated with her, aside from the first day of summer, which they call Jill's Day. On this day, nelfkins gather together and celebrate Jilna with music, dancing and a great feast.

Interpersonal Relationships: Blue is fond of the others she is traveling with, for the most part. Sometimes she is too gruff and can rub people the wrong way, but she usually means well.

Zi is the first member of the party that Blue meets. Blue likes Zi's kindhearted nature, though she often is frustrated by how naive Zi can be. She has seen more of the world than Zi, being older and due to her occupation, and sometimes this makes it difficult for her to communicate with Zi. Since Zi is an elf from the city of Ar, Blue is sometimes a bit resentful of the privileges that Zi has had, of which Blue has very few. However, because she knows that Zi is an exceptionally good person, this is rarely an issue. She worries that Zi's innocence makes her vulnerable and is therefor somewhat protective of the elf.

She is friendly with Kniles but not very close to him, though she appreciates his level head and his devotion to Zi.

She considers Fae to be a close friend and also privately thinks that Fae is the best person she knows, closely followed by Zi. She is also protective of Fae, especially after learning of Fae's being abandoned as an infant. She is especially bothered by the way Alaster talks to Fae. Despite initially having many problems with Alaster, such as his prejudice towards others and his grouchy disposition, she is quite drawn to him and eventually develops strong feelings for him. While she finds Alaster to often be offensive, she finds him to be an excellent drinking companion.

Shadow and Kael are of great interest to Blue, as very little is known about Red Wolf culture, and so she enjoys talking to Shadow about her people, and also about her travels.

While she admires Artemis for her skills as a hunter and her sensible attitude, Blue finds Artemis to be a bit of an enigma. She is somewhat distrustful of Artemis, simply because she senses that Artemis is somewhat darker than her companions. Blue has difficulty trusting people who keep secrets.

As for Sir Gwuryn, Blue finds him trustworthy in a fight and recognizes that it makes good sense to have him with the party. However, he is too rude for her liking, even though she sometimes finds him amusing.

- Rachel

Doodles: Shadow

Hey! Emma here again with another doodle from my TROUF sketchbook! Doodling characters from TROUF is something I did during our youth, mostly during idle time during the school day. I did this from memory and without really asking the person who created the character (bad form probably) or really looking at descriptions. I go off the idea of the character that I have in my head from our years together.

This time, I’ve drawn a rather sketchy (THOUGH DYNAMIC) drawing of Shadow. She is a wolf who was cursed to take a mostly human form! She was Kirsty’s character, along with the still-wolf sister, Kael. Kirsty is such a busy lady, she hasn’t been able to participate in this project with Shey, Lauren, Rachel and me, so she didn’t really get any input in this drawing. Not that I ask for input anyway. *wink*

I figured I should probably give you a bit of an explanation for the doodle, so you see where I am coming from here. Fair Warning: Shadow and the human-wolf curse were created by Kirsty. My headcanon could be completely wrong.

Notes on Shadow (Taeyel)

    Shadow is a wolf cursed to human form, so many of her mannerisms are still rather wolfish. She had issues walking on two legs at the beginning, though she eventually gets the hang of it, she will always be more comfortable on all fours. Her clothing is sparse, at best, and either stolen or created out of the furs of some of her and Kael’s kills. She doesn’t really know how to sew, so most of it is tied together with sturdy leather string. She carries a fur pack, which mostly holds bits of leather and string that she hasn’t figured out how to add to her wardrobe yet. She prefers to go barefoot, and does not understand why humans want or need shoes. Feeling the ground with your feet can tell you much about your surroundings.

When Shadow was cursed, she managed to keep her ears and tail as well as some of her wolf senses. Her ears perk like a dog when she is interested in something, and they can swivel about her head to help hear better. Her tail wags when she is happy, and the fur raises when she is angry or scared. She can still smell better than other humans, if not as well as when she was a wolf.

Consider this, when looking at my particularly sketchy doodle of Shadow!

Pencil

Like the Letter - Playlist for Zi

Hoorah! I finished the playlist for Zi too! - Rachel

Like the Letter - Playlist for Zi

 1. Paradise - Coldplay

"When she was just a girl she expected the world."

2. Titanium/Pavane - The Piano Guys

(Instrumental)

3. Whole Lot of Heart - Ingrid Michaelson 

"There's a whole lot of heart in me. It takes a whole lot of heart to see everything's coming down roses."

4. Same Changes - The Weepies

"Everyone says 'this love will change you.' Well, I ask, isn't that what love's supposed to do?"

5. I Would do Anything for You - Foster The People

"And I'll smile when you speak. Remember all those times I was hoping for something and shaking my head from all I had done. But you never left me."

6. I'm in Here - Sia

"Can anybody see me? Can anybody help?"

7. Sunflower - The Weepies

"I shine for you. You know I'd do anything for you."

8. Army - Ellie Goulding

"Dark times, you could always find the bright side. I'm amazed by the things that you would sacrifice just to be there for me."

9. Don't Dream it's Over - Sarah Blasko

"There's a battle ahead. Many battles are lost. But you'll never see the end of the road while you're traveling with me."

10. Secret Heart - Feist

"This very secret that you're trying to conceal is the very same one that you're dying to reveal."

11. Once Upon a Dream - Lana Del Ray

"And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem."

12. Hideaway - The Weepies

"I'll make my own way in the wide world. Just know I don't want to wander too far."

13. Still Falling For You - Ellie Goulding

"It took us a while, cause we were young and unsure. With love on the line, what if we both would need more? But all your flaws and scars are mine."

14. All in My Head - Missy Higgins

"I thought I'd never find you. I thought all was lost."

Hunter's Moon - Playlist for Artemis

Finally finished this playlist for Artemis. Hope everyone enjoys. - Rachel

Hunter's Moon - Playlist for Artemis

1. Mother - Florence + The Machine
"Mother, make me a bird of prey. So I can rise above this, let it fall away."

2. The Search and Little Else - Rue Royale
"And in the wilderness I often ran like hell. Never to let give in, I'm for the search and little else."

3. Rise - Azure Ray
"Look how low, I've sunk. Don't ask me to rise."

4. Breath of Life - Florence + The Machine
"To get a dream of life again, a little vision of the start and the end, but all the choirs in my head sang 'no.'"

5. Stretch Your Eyes - Agnes Obel
"A grip that will hold so tight and cold, around my throat with the weight of all our lives."

6. Breathe Me - Sia
"I have lost myself again. Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found."

7. Almost - Tracy Chapman
"Almost saved you and myself. Almost won but it doesn't count."

8. Seven Devils - Florence + The Machine
"I don't want your money, I don't want your crown. See, I've come to burn your kingdom down."

9. Mad World - Gary Jules
"I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad. The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had."

10. No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine
"You are the nighttime fear, you are the morning when it's clear."

11. The Curse - Agnes Obel
"If they called on every soul in the land, on the moon, Only then would they know the blessing in disguise."

12. All the Things Lost - MS MR
"Everyone keeps asking are we okay. The truth is we're not but I don't know what to say."

13. Leave My Body - Florence + The Machine
"I don't want your future, I don't need your past. One bright moment is all I ask."

14. Have You Got It In You? - Imogen Heap
"One nerve remaining, waiting on one look. Have you got it? Have you got it in you?"

Character Art: Blue Grass

    Howdy! Emma here! Sometimes I like to doodle images of the characters in TROUF. This is something I did during our youth, mostly during idle time during the school day. I do this from memory and without really asking the person who created the character (bad form probably) or really looking at descriptions. I go off the idea of the character that I have in my head from our years together.

I figured I ought to explain my thinking, so I wrote up some notes both on the species and on the character. Fair Warning: Blue and the Nelfkin species were created by Rachel. My headcanon could be completely wrong.

Notes on Nelfkins and Blue Grass

Blue Grass is a Nelfkin. As such, she is small in stature and has a child-like form. It is common for Nelfkins to be confused for elf-children by humans who have little experience with either race. In my mind’s eye, the Nelfkin people have big expressive eyes, and rounded faces. Everything about them physically should be reminiscent of a six year old child. Their ears are considerably larger than the ears of their cousins the elves, and it is a feature of which their people are very proud. Their ears are also very expressive. They perk up when a Nelfkin is attentive or excited, and, when saddened, they tend to droop.

Blue is a practical woman, so she would wear practical clothing for traveling. As a guide of some renown, she is well outfitted for the road. She would keep some essentials on her belt (a dagger, her money, a small flask of Nelfkin Cheer), but most of her possessions would be carried in a pack. She usually keeps her long, dirty blond hair in a tight braid. This is out of a sense of simplicity rather than any sense of style. Braided hair needs less brushing. It’s practical that she should keep it tied back. Blue’s eyes are grey, but they appear to change color depending on the situation.

At 23, Blue is a grown up woman and she tends to get irritated when she isn’t treated with the respect she feels she deserves. Due to this, she has developed a bit of a caustic personality when it comes to strangers, and even friends, when they rub her the wrong way. She is quick to irk, and you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving side of her ire.

It is with this in mind that I share my most recent doodle. Blue’s hair is down, which is pretty rare, and she looks like she’s about to pommel someone. Anyone want to give a suggestion as to whom she wants to pommel and why? Feel free to leave your idea as a comment!

Blue Grass, Colored pencil and sharpie

Blue Grass, digital coloring

 

Hope you enjoy!

The Nightmare

Artemis couldn’t breathe.  She gasped each breath, clawing at her throat.  This darkness was going to swallow her whole and she would be no more than an observer.  The black mist swirled around her, whispering her name.  It tried to coax her into relaxing and let it take control.  She struggled, thrashed.

Artemis woke up by falling off the bed, her sheets wrapped around her. She breathed heavy gasps as she took in her room.  She rubbed her eyes.  This was the fourth time this month that she had the nightmare.  She rubbed her throat and looked outside.  It was a clear night with the moon and stars shining brightly.  She knew her papa would disapprove but she didn’t want to wake Kniles.  She untangled herself and put on a pair of pants and a shirt. She grabbed her hunting knife in case some wild animals were around. She crept down quietly, fearing the steps would squeak.  She got to the front door.  She quietly opened the door, stepped outside, and carefully closed the door.

Her breathe showed in the cool weather.  She decided she would take a small walk to clear her mind.  She walked around the farm until she got to the cattle.  She stopped and a sense of dread came over her.  There was someone hunched over the cow.

“Hey! Get away from that cow!” She hollered.  Artemis recoiled when the person turned around.  It was a child who was eating the cow.  She could see that it had eaten a lot of the cow.  It had black eyes and blood all over it.  She then heard a tiny voice.  “I’m lost, can you help me?”  Artemis reached for hinting knife.  She felt the familiar blade handle as she pulled it out.

The boy grinned, sharp teeth showing.  He launched himself at her.  Artemis turned to run but was too late.  The boy landed on her and held her wrists tight.  They struggled for a moment until Artemis threw him off.  She scoots backwards but fell to her elbows.  The boy began to throw himself at her but Artemis rolled to the side.  She looked around for her knife and found it a few feet away.  Artemis grabbed the knife and plunged it into his chest. He fell to the ground.  Artemis kept stabbing him over and over.  Blood spurted everywhere.  She finally stopped and gasped for breath.  She ran to a pump and tried to clean her hands blood off.  She continued to scrub and scrub.  Finally her hands were clean but she was covered in blood. 

She looked back at the body.  She had to get rid of it before dawn came.  The woods were not far off, but there was an area that recently been dug for one of their old dogs who died.  She dragged the body to the spot, and ran to get a shovel.  When she got back she began to dig into the ground.  She was stronger than most girls from her life of hunting but she was tired from the fight.  Sweat rolled down her back, soaking her clothes.  Finally, she got to the bottom or the old dog was.  “I’m sorry.” She whispered and threw the boy in.  She looked up at the sky and knew she didn’t have much time.  She began to fill the hole. She wiped her face off as she finished.  She had an hour at most before the sun arose and about 30 minutes until papa awoke.  She cleaned the dirt off.  She looked at her clothes.  She would have to hide them for now.

She tiptoed/ran to the door and crept quietly up the stairs as she heard movement from her father’s room.  She ripped off her clothes and hid them under the bed.  She quickly put her pajamas back on, and jumped in her bed.  She pulled the covers of her eyes and shut them tightly.  She silently prayed that it was all a nightmare and she would wake up with everything back to what it was.

Campfire Stories

    The companions were seated around the campfire, enjoying the last of their shared dinner of thick beef stew with savory chunks of carrots and potatoes. The lot of them were listening to Gwuryn tell a lively story about tricking his former Knight Master, for whom he had squired, into believing that, after getting horrendously drunk, the master had had relations with an elderly, half blind, and, frankly, hag-ish innkeeper. “She was a kind woman,” Gwuryn assured the party, after a withering look from Fae who did not appreciate the description Gwuryn gave the poor innkeeper. “She went right along with the joke,” explained Gwuryn as he grinned at the memory. “Why, the next morning, she even winked and slapped my master on the rump!” No one found this funnier than Borli. His guffaws were infectious, and soon most of party was chuckling at the bawdy story. Apparently the 15 year old Squire Gwuryn had gotten tired of the old man’s bragging about various sexual conquests over the years, and had taken it upon himself to have a bit of a laugh at his master’s expense. The whole thing had been a mortifying prospect for the lecherous old bastard, and following the ordeal, Gwuryn had enjoyed a bit of a reprieve from the braggart’s tales for a few months. He only needed to bring up the hag (“kind woman, though, she was,” assured Gwuryn, lest he be at the receiving end of Fae’s ire once more) and the master would shut up immediately.


By this point, Borli was so overcome with joy, he was wiping tears from his eyes with the tip of his beard. The sight alone was comical enough to get the party laughing again. That is, of course, except for Alaster, who was bright red and staring daggers at Gwuryn. The Knight of the Realm, for his part, smiled back at him innocently, but his eyes lit up as if they were sharing a private joke. Alaster started after a moment of staring, his eyes growing wide momentarily, and his scowl deepened. Straightening up, the faerie took another swig of his drink, cheeks reddening, and eyes trying to look any where other than the knight. Gwuryn won this round of silent jousting.


The only person who seemed to notice anything had transpired between the pair was Blue who smirked at the interaction. She might have enjoyed Alaster’s discomfort a little. Leaning back comfortably against the stump she had selected for her seating arrangement this evening, Blue asked the group “Who has another story?” before turning to the two half-siblings. “I know hunters tell stories among themselves while on long hunts. What do you have for us?”


Kniles and Artemis exchanged a quick glance, communicating silently. “Well,” Artemis began tentatively after a moment, “Papa has a story about the Wild Hunt.” Kniles gave a brief smile of encouragement.


“The Wild Hunt?” repeated Shadow, leaning forward with some interest. “My people know of this Hunt.” She let a hand fall gently on her sister’s head. “We are hunters, ourselves.”


Artemis grinned at the pair of wolves. “Then, you know it is every Hunter’s dream to join the Wild Hunt.” Shadow inclined her head, and Artemis went on. “It is said the Wild Hunt sweeps through the forests of the wildwood right around the autumn equinox always during the late night.” The woman’s expression took on a sinister quality, as her dark eyes reflected the firelight and she lowered her tone to barely above a whisper. “But the Wild Hunt is not like a normal hunting party.” A hushed feeling fell over the companions seated at the fire. “It is said the Wild Hunt is composed of the greatest hunters to ever step foot in the wildwoods.” Artemis paused. Nothing could be heard above the crackling of the fire, and the careful breathing of her audience. “There is one condition, of course,” she warned, “to join the Wild Hunt, you must be dead.” A shiver ran through a few of the party members, despite the warmth of the fire. Artemis cackled to herself, clearly enjoying watching her companions fearful expressions. “They say, the only warning you get is the call of an otherworldly hunting horn, before the Wild Hunt is upon you.” Her eyes were manic in the telling of the story. “If you are unlucky enough to see the hunters of the Wild Hunt, it is too late. You are the hunted.”


“Now, Papa,” came Kniles’ soft basso from beside his sister, “He swears he witnessed the Wild Hunt, nearly a year before my birth.”


Artemis grinned at her brother conspiratorially, before looking back towards her audience, “but, our fellow hunters tell him this cannot be true because once you are marked as prey by the Wild Hunt, your death is imminent. They do not believe our Papa could face down the Wild Hunt and live.”


“What they do not know is Papa had a secret weapon,” explained Kniles, with a wink at Zi who looked truly frightened for the half-siblings’ father. She knew the man, after all, and had spoken with him on multiple occasions. “He had the help of a talented seer.”


“Your mother!” blurted the sorceress elf in disbelief, before she could stop herself. The party’s gaze swung to her, and she clapped her hands over her mouth. “Shush!” hissed Yuna through the fingers of Zi’s hands, “you’re ruining the story!” Zi dropped her hands, and lowered her gaze before continuing in her own voice. “I’m sorry, it’s just, Elowen never spoke of her time outside of Ar.” The elf blushed furiously, and stared at her lap. “She used her gifts to help a single human! It would be a scandal if the Council of Elders knew.”


Kniles draped an arm around Zi’s shoulders, and drew her closer so he could plant a kiss on the crown of her head. “Then, we won’t tell them,” he said, quietly enough that only Zi and Artemis could hear. The elf girl nodded, perhaps a little more strongly than was appropriate, but she seemed content with the decision. Only 17 and already keeping secrets from the elvish Council. She was going to be a terrible High Sorceress. She just knew it.  Zi blushed again, but promised herself she wouldn’t speak out during the rest of the story.


“The seer knew Papa was to face the Wild Hunt,” continued Artemis after everyone had settled back down and their attention was back on the tale. “She had seen the outcome, and gave him warning and an idea for methods for survival. The hunted is not prey if it hunts back.” Artemis’ eyes flashed with a hint of excitement. “Papa set his trap. First, there was the decoy camp,” she motioned around their own camp, “very similar to this one. It had a tent and a blazing fire to keep away the cold. Papa put on a great pot of coffee, the most aromatic thing he had to help draw the dogs, ” she paused thoughtfully, glancing towards Shadow and Kael who both nodded fiercely, “and I suppose wolves of the Wild Hunt, and to muddle the scent.” Artemis peered around the circle of her friends, each gaze she met was fully enthralled in the tale. “Papa knew, because the seer had told him, that the leader of the Wild Hunt would need to be his prey if he was to live through this meeting. He climbed the sturdy tree that loomed over his decoy campsite, made certain he was well camouflaged against the sight of the Wild Hunt and settled in for the long wait.” Artemis turned her fiery gaze to the full moon cresting above the trees, and her eyes reflected the silvery sight. “Just as the sliver of the pale moon peaked in the sky, Papa heard it.” The audience startled as Kniles blew his hunting horn. He grinned sheepishly and exchanged a pleased look with his cavalier sister. They had gone through this performance before, Zi thought, realization dawning. This was something the pair of them had told on large hunting trips during their summers together. Perhaps with the help of their father.


“The call of the Wild Hunt!” Artemis exclaimed, throwing her hands out and drawing Zi from her musings. “Papa heard the horn, and he knew the Wild Hunt would soon be on his heels, and low and behold the ghostly hoard appeared. First, the hunting hounds and wolves poured into his campsite, noses to the ground, they circled the fire, but the coffee did it’s work to muddle their senses so they could not pick up his scent and give away his hiding place. Papa says the hounds were putrid looking, their skin sagging off their bodies and showing the skeletons beneath. Next, came the Huntsmen on horses, many in decaying clothes from various eras of our past. Some were full skeletons, while others were much fresher looking corpses. All held the transparent white-blue tone appearance of ghosts. Following came the Huntsmen on foot. Papa always speaks of these men with more respect, for they are the true hunters who know the secrets of stalking a weakening prey by the signs that we use to hunt. A broken branch, a bit of hair or a footprint can tell these hunters a great deal about his prey.” Artemis paused, while examining the faces around the fire, each hanging on her every word.


“But Papa was careful,” Kniles said, drawing their hungry attention to him, “he left only signs pointing towards an occupant in the empty tent, and none that would give away his location in the branches above them.”


“Papa is pretty crafty like that,” Artemis commented, nodding her approval. The gazes of the party had returned to her then. “Papa was steeling himself for his next move, when the appearance of the Huntmaster gave him pause.” At this, she nudged Kniles, who stood, leaving Zi without his warmth, and crossed the circle to the stump Blue had been lounging against.


He leapt up to stand on the stump, alarming Blue, and drew his arms out to form something like claws. Kniles was already the tallest member of their party, and towering over them on the stump, with the light of the fire flashing across his face and arms, drew quite the imposing figure. “The man, if you can call him that,” Kniles began, obviously enjoying the show, “stood no less than 8 feet tall. Unlike his fellow huntsmen, the Huntsmaster was not the transparent bluish white of a ghost, but instead he was a grizzled reality of being like in the flesh. He wore a great helmet from which the horns of deer and elk and moose stood out at strange angles. Across his chest, he wore the trophies and furs of many beasts including the severed, braided beard of a dwarf.” Kniles’ eyes flashed to Borli, who looked sickened at the thought. “Human and elf skins were among the pelts he wore proudly, but Papa swears that these were not the most terrifying prospects of the giant before him.” Kniles hopped down and looked to Artemis expectantly as if to say, I’ve done my part here.


She rolled her eyes briefly in response, before standing and allowing her brother to return to his seat with the elf girl and continuing. “The Huntsman’s face, ” Artemis started, beginning to pace around the circle, and with a lavish pause for dramatic purposes, “was that of a skeleton’s, except his left eye was this burning green orb bigger than a human fist.” She held her own fist out for comparison. “The seer told Papa this was the magic source that kept the Wild Hunts uninterrupted for these many centuries. Papa was terrified, but the seer had said what to expect, and he knew what he must do.” She paused to stand behind Alaster, and put her hands on his shoulders. He looked very uncomfortable at this interaction, and everyone could see Artemis knew it by the laughter dancing in her eyes. “Papa gripped his spear in his hand, and dove from the tree to the Huntmaster as soon as he was in range.” Her own grip tightened around the faerie’s shoulders, and Alaster let loose a very unmanly squeak. Luckily, everyone was too engrossed in the story to even make light of his reaction. The human girl went to hug his neck. “Papa landed on the giant’s shoulders, and soon clung to the Huntmaster’s neck, holding his spear almost to the monster’s glaring bright green eye.” She had her knife out, pressed to Alaster’s cheek and he didn’t dare to breathe for a few heartbeats. “‘WILD HUNT’” Artemis shouted, trying (and failing) to mimic her father’s deep tone, “‘I have your master at my mercy!’”


She released Alaster, who breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Papa did indeed have the master of the hunt at his mercy, but like the seer had warned, he wasn’t out of the wildwoods yet.” Artemis, grinning from ear to ear, plopped down next to Alaster on the ground, and hugged her knees to her chest. Alaster, still wary of the woman, straightened, but otherwise didn’t retreat. Artemis continued the story, “Papa knew the moment he released the Huntmaster, his life was forfeit, so he struck out a bargain. ‘I will have your word as a hunter,’ Papa said, ‘That if I, a mere mortal, can lodge my spear in the eye of a doe from fifty paces, you will let me leave as a fellow hunter of the Wild Hunt instead of mere prey.’ This was a practically impossible act, but Papa had the seer’s word it would be done.


“The Huntmaster considered this. ‘And if you fail?’ came the giant’s booming voice.


“‘Then, you may hunt me.’ returned Papa, but he knew he would not fail.”


Alaster snorted, drawing the crowd’s attention away from the storyteller. “Why didn’t he just smash the eye,” he scoffed, “and be done with the whole thing?”


“The seer did say it was the source of the WIld Hunt’s magic,” considered Blue, ever the practical one.


“And rob every hunter of his dream to join the Wild Hunt upon his death?” asked Artemis, seemingly in shock and looking between the pair of them. “Papa would never even consider it.”


“You have to understand what the Wild Hunt means to these humans,” explained Kniles, “It’s like this mythical goal you hope for your whole life. Papa would never want to keep anyone from this reward. He did not consider his life to be that monumental so as to trade it for that of the Wild Hunt.” Clearly the nelfkin and faerie disagreed, but they bit their tongues and allowed the story to continue.


“So,” Artemis continued, after she was certain there would be no further interruptions, “the Wild Hunt allowed Papa to travel with them until they came upon the perfect prey for his bargain. A beautiful spotted doe. The huntsmen were deadly silent, as they waited for Papa to line up his attack. None of them believed he was to be successful, and they were biding their time to turn upon him when he failed,” Artemis jerked her chin up, clearly proud of her father’s accomplishments, and went on, “but, just as the seer predicted, papa flung his spear and it was embedded right into the eye of that doe. She fell, and when Papa went to retrieve his spear from the corpse, the Huntmaster stopped him. ‘This man,’ declared the giant to the entirety of the Wild Hunt, ‘is not prey. He is huntsman.’ Then, before Papa could say anything, the lot of the Wild Hunt was moving on to their next prey.”


Zi clapped her hands at the conclusion of the story, clearly relieved with the ending. She had actually been afraid for the life of their obviously living father whom she had met on multiple occasions years after the events in the story had taken place. “Very good!” she exclaimed. The others agreed it was a good story, and began discussing among themselves how possible it was. Artemis began adamantly denying that it could possibly be a falsehood. “My papa never lies,” she declared, flipping her dagger in her hands. “I will fight you over this.”


“Did you know, Papa went back to my mother and asked her to marry him that very night?” Kniles asked Zi, who blinked at him. “She told him no, of course. She always tells him no.” Zi had never heard this before.


“I don’t blame her,” Yuna said from Zi’s mouth, with a bit of mirth lining her eyes. “Your father sounds insane.”


“I think Samael sounded brave,” Zi argued, gaining back control of her features. “I didn’t know your father ever asked the Lady Seer to wed him.”


“Oh, he still does it sometimes,” Kniles said in a voice that was attempting to be casual, “After Artemis’ mum passed, he started at it again. She will usually shut him down before he even has the chance to ask, but I once saw him surprise her.” He grinned bashfully. It was incredibly difficult to catch a seer off guard.


 “Who’s next?” asked Fae, evidently wanting to shut down the arguments among most of the companions as to the truth of the hunter tale. “Yuna!” she exclaimed after no volunteers spoke up. Her kindly eyes were on the two-souled elf. “You should tell a story. We have travelled many nights and I have never heard a tale from you.”


Zi’s face went from that of the innocent elf girl, to the harsher thinking expression of the human sharing her body. “I don’t know any good stories,” came Yuna’s voice from Zi’s lips. “My people are simple farmers.”


Zi’s expression came back to her face and she looked crestfallen. “Really?” she asked. “Your family doesn’t tell stories?”


Yuna’s features returned. “Of course we tell stories,” she said, “but nothing so grand as the tales I’ve heard from you lot. Nothing much interesting has ever happened to any of my family members. Nothing that would entertain great adventurers like you folk!”


Fae’s violet gaze met with Zi’s eyes shared with Yuna. “Tell us the kind of story your family would tell you,” the wingless faerie suggested, “it doesn’t need to be grand.”


A reassuring smile flashed across the elf-girl’s face, before the expression changed back to one of Yuna’s caution. “Okay,” came Yuna’s voice, warily. “But everyone must promise not to interrupt.” The group nodded as one, settling down to listen to the woman’s tale. “Especially you, Zi,” warned Yuna in a harsh tone. The head of the elf nodded enthusiastically. It was an odd sight, but the others had gotten used to the two women sharing one body. It could be unsettling, but for the most part they could all pick out which was talking.


“So, in the beginning,” Yuna began,  “there was only Skye and Terra.” Alaster rolled his eyes, but otherwise made no objections. It was well known among the party that Alaster did not believe in the gods. Yuna, for her part, sounded like she was rehearsing something she had memorised and was trying to get through it as quickly as possible. “They loved each other deeply,” she continued, “but were cursed to spend the eons forever apart. Skye existed as the heavens forever above his treasured Terra, the earth. The lovers could gaze at each other from ground to sky, but they were too far apart for an embrace. Terra tried to reach her beloved Skye, forming the great mountains in an attempt to caress her love.  Skye struggled to draw his cherished Terra near him with every wind he could muster, but he barely touched her surface. In those days, there was only the bare ground and no trees or grasses for him to run the fingers of the wind through.


“It was a devastating existence,” she went on, “but the lovers knew they were meant to be together so neither would give up. The pair were still very young gods, and had much to learn still about the realm and their powers in it. One day, Skye decided to take a bit of his essence and pour it down to the earth. He hadn’t expected it to work. Tearing himself in pieces was not something he had ever considered before. In his realm above the earth he cherished so much, he formed his first water and let it fall. The moment he reached his beloved in the form of a single droplet of water, he knew this to be good and the skies opened up with the first rain.


“Terra’s deepest valleys filled with water, forming the great oceans. Finally, the lovers could embrace, and from their love, the water fed the earth and grew their first children: the trees, grasses, and various plant life. And uhhh,” she stopped abruptly. “Other stuff happened, and here we are!” she ended awkwardly.


There was a long pause, before Zi broke out in a round of applause and Fae eventually joined her. The others smiled at the human trapped in the elf’s body, and told her what a good job she did telling the story. That is, except for Alaster who had the good sense to remain blessedly silent on the topic. Yuna didn’t believe them anyway, but she accepted the praise. She had rushed the story, and forgotten the ending, she explained, but gave them her thanks. Gwuryn made a crack about the gods getting it on, and had the pleasure of dodging a flying frying pan from a very displeased Artemis who did not appreciate what he was implying. Next time, she threatened, it would be her knife.


It was a pretty average evening for the defenders of the realm.

The Good(ish) Sir Knight

The brave vagrant sir knight, golden tresses flowing gently in the wind, armor flashing in the noon day sun, peered at his surroundings with a sharp hazel gaze from atop his mighty steed...or he would have if he owned a mighty steed. Really, he was standing on a rock. It was a rather large rock, and he certainly looked majestic atop it, with his hair flowing out in a halo and his steel armor shining gloriously in the light of the sun, but it was still a rock. Assuredly, the rock granted the knight the vantage point he needed to peer around the countryside. But it wasn’t a noble steed, and that ruined the image, at least to the man’s way of thinking. There were some things being a knight of the realm should have afforded you in exchange for following the Code of Chivalry to the letter. You should have shinning armor. You should have a loyal squire. You should have women fawning over you. You should have a mighty steed. The good Sir Gwuryn had none of these things. Well, except for the armor, and he worked very hard to keep it spotless. A knight aged five and twenty shouldn’t have need to shine his own armor. They had squires for that. Well, at least the wealthy knights did.

Gwuryn was a genuine Knight of the Realm. He had served as a squire to a lecherous old knight as a boy, and had undertaken the arduous seven years of training to enter the Guild as a full knight. He had taken his oaths very seriously. He had sworn to protect the peoples of the Realm, and, so help him gods, he had done just that. He went from village to village and town to town helping the people. If there was a horrifying monster he could vanquish in order to save the fair people of the land, so much the better. The people would adore him, the wenches most of all, and he could get a fat bonus on his next stipend from the Knights of the Realm Guild. Maybe after enough vanquished monsters, he could afford that stalwart steed he wanted. At least, theoretically. So far, he hadn’t met up against a single beastly foe, and this was his fourth month since taking his oaths. Mostly he ended up doing odd jobs for a village. They would house him for a week, and in exchange he would fix fences, help a shepherd shear his flock, or clean the gutters of an elderly widow’s cottage before moving on to the next village. One time he got to hunt down a particularly nasty boar that had chased a young man out of the nearby forest. That had been exciting, until Gwuryn learned the boar was a mother sow and she was only acting out of a sense of protection for her young ones. He had managed to tie her up, and safely deposited she and her drove of piglets a full league away from the village. He did this on foot, of course, and in his heavy steel armor. The Code prohibited taking off your knight armor for anything outside of leisure activities. In fact, Gwuryn did all his knightly duties in full armor. Particularly taxing in full armor was the act of cleaning widows’ gutters. And no, that wasn’t a euphemism.

Villages were always very thankful to the good Sir Knight when he visited. A Knight of the Realm is free labor to the small villages peppered throughout the many lands. They do anything from protecting villages from monsters or bandits, to completing drudgery tasks villagers either didn’t have the time for or that they held on to in the hopes of handing it off the the next vagrant knight. Gwuryn didn’t mind so much. He had sworn to serve, and he truly felt he was helping the peoples of the Realm. He just wished the gods would throw him a monster to vanquish every now and then. Or a free horse. Or an attractive wench to warm his bed. Really, anything would be great. He had been told by his superiors in the guild that as his renown spread, he would be more likely to be sent requests from larger villages with higher instances of foes to defeat.

The knight sighed, and hopped down from his vantage point on top of the not-a-horse rock. He pulled out his missive from the nearby guild outpost he managed to stop by. It had a list of towns requesting the services of any knights. None of these towns or villages had asked for him by name. It was only his fourth month in service, Gwuryn reminded himself, and he was doing fairly well for being the second son of an impoverished noble house. He would be able to afford his own steed in a few months as long as he remained frugal with his stipend. Then, he would look the part of a Knight of the Realm, and the ladies would throw themselves at him. Gwuryn grinned at the thought. Yes, ladies loved knights. Of this he was certain. His old master had seen to that bit of education when Gwuryn served as his squire in his teenage years. He whistled as he picked out the nearest town from his list. Sarton had some widows in need of gutter-cleaning. Maybe one of them would be young for once. Then Gwuryn could clean clean out her gutters before cleaning the gutters. That one was a euphemism. He let his mind wander down that line of thought into a regular fantasy of his, when a sudden scream drew him out of his musings.

Was that the scream of a maiden fair? Was she in distress? Gwuryn held tight to the hilt of his sheathed great sword, and tore off into the forest towards the direction of the scream. A Knight always aids the needy. It did not take the good Sir Knight long to find the source of the screaming.

It was a donkey. Seriously. A donkey.

The donkey’s distressed bray had sounded like the screams of a damsel in distress to Sir Gwuryn’s ears. Probably because he was distracted, and his brain lead him to believe what he wanted. A damsel would have been nice, but Gwuryn had always had a soft spot for animals. He shrugged it off, saving a donkey in distress was pretty good, and stepped forward, cooing softly to the donkey. He could see the whites around her eyes, and she was side stepping quite a bit. She was definitely spooked. He calmed her down, and had her reins in hand before the thought struck him. She looked like she was bridled for cart-pulling. Gwuryn examined her harness carefully and saw the broken wood of a cart. It looked like she had broken free of her carriage. Just then, a bellow broke through nearby. “Geeroff me things, yeh thieven’ beggar!”

The Donkey’s ears swiveled, and she pranced around uneasily. Gwuryn took a moment to tie her to a nearby branch as more angry yells erupted from nearby. “I will be but a few moments,” he promised the donkey, before drawing his greatsword and sneaking towards the bellow. Just past a bit of underbrush he could see the cart the donkey must have been pulling tipped sideways, with the source of the bellows, an angry dwarf, trapped under one side. A single human highwayman, dressed in all black with a mask drawn over his face, was distractedly going through the dwarf’s things in the cart. The dwarf, for his part, looked unharmed yet livid. He was in part attempting to push the cart off his body and additionally attempting to clobber the bandit with his small walking stick which could not quite reach. It was an interesting sight, but Gwuryn had not the time to sit and watch. He stepped out from the safety of his hiding place behind the underbrush. “You, sir,” he called to the bandit, “prepare to fight.” It was expressly forbidden to surprise ambush an enemy in the Code, and Gwuryn followed the Code to the letter. One must always allow his enemy time to prepare.

The bandit looked up, and his eyes grew wide in realization. This was a real Knight of the Realm here to save a lowly dwarf. The bandit took off running into the woods. Excellent. Gwuryn turned to the dwarf and excused himself swiftly with a simple “Back in a moment, good sir,” before chasing after the bandit. Gwuryn was surprisingly fast for someone so encumbered by the heavy armor of a Knight, but, wearing it every day, you get used to the weight. The Knight kept pace with the bandit, who attempted unsuccessfully to lose him several times. In one of his attempts, the bandit turned suddenly, and, gaze directed towards his pursuer, ran smartly into the trunk of a tree. He was flat on his back, staring up at the point of Gwuryn’s sword only a moment after. “Not the ending I would have preferred,” said the knight with a radiant smile, “but this certainly is easier.” Sir Gwuryn nudged the blade against the bandit’s neck. “Remove your weapons, or I will run you through and neither of us wants that.” The bandit did as he was asked, and in no time, Gwuryn had his first prisoner as a Knight of the Realm. It felt great! Oh, he double checked the man for weapons and confiscated a dagger from his shoe, but on a whole the bandit was rather cooperating. Having placed the weapons and stolen items into a sack, Gwuryn nudged the man at sword point, and the pair of them trudged back to the tipped cart.

“You sir,” Gwuryn called to the dwarf once he was in view, “Have you any rope?”

“O’course,” bellowed the dwarf, “It’s in me cart if tha’ rotter didn’ steal it.”

“I hope you don’t mind my securing the prisoner before I release you,” said Gwuryn cordially to the dwarf. In response, the dwarf nodded once, a look of complete understanding across his leathered face. Gwuryn liked dwarves. They were a very practical people. He made quick work of binding the prisoner so he couldn’t escape. This was one of the earliest lessons in knight training, so he was absolutely positive he had done it correctly. He was certain the man couldn’t get out of his ropes, but he checked him again for weapons just in case. When finished, he turned on the dwarf, and together the pair of them were strong enough to push the cart off of the dwarf, and set it straight. He excused himself to retrieve the donkey, leaving the dwarf. Perhaps somewhat surprised, the dwarf kept a quiet statue as he watched Gwuryn first leave, then return. Not knowing what else to do, Gwuryn started to pick up the fallen items from the cart to help, but still the dwarf stood silently watching him. It was like he was weighing his character out.

“Well,” said the dwarf after a long moment, “Let’s get to it, then.”

Gwuryn looked at him confused. “Sir?” he asked, “I am afraid I don’t understand.”

“Ye saved me life, boy, and the life of me sweet Clarabelle” explained the dwarf, gesturing towards the donkey, “I owe ye a life debt.” Gwuryn blinked for a moment, allowing that to process. What was a life debt? Was that some dwarf thing? He had no idea. Not seeing a look of acknowledgement on the knight’s face, the dwarf went on, seeming a little flustered. “It means I owe ye somethin’ fer savin’ me life, lad. It’s in the name.” Gwuryn nodded. That made sense. “I’ll be yer servant fer six years.”

“What?” Gwuryn sputtered, completely surprised.

“Fine,” exclaimed the dwarf, throwing up his hands, “Seven years! But not a day more.”

“You don’t,” Gwuryn began, but the dwarf cut him off.

“Aye, lad. I do. Me honor as a dwarf of the Nine Halls of Menelduhr commands it.”

Gwuryn nodded slowly. “Okay… but--”

“The name‘s Borli Whiteaxe, boy. What’s yers?”

“Oh, uhh, Sir Gwuryn Knight of the Realm.”

“Well, Oh Uhh Ser Gwuryn, let’s get to it then. What will ye have me do as yer first act as me master?”

Gwuryn smiled then, a realization dawning on him. “Know anything about being a squire, Borli?”

“Not a whit, Ser.”

“You will learn.” Thank you gods! Gwuryn had his squire! Things were looking up! Clarabelle brayed apprehensively, her eye locked on the tied up bandit. And a noble steed sorta! Not to mention his first enemy vanquished! Sure, it had been ridiculously easy, but nobody had to know that! “Pack up everything, and get Clara holstered to the cart, squire. We are going to take this prisoner to the guild outpost.”

Bloody Hell - Playlist for Alaster

Bloody Hell- A Playlist for Alaster

A Spotify playlist for Alaster. Slowly working on playlists for each of the six characters with magic stones. This includes Blue, Alaster, Zi, Artemis, Fae and Shadow. And because I love playlists, I will probably make them for other characters too. - Rachel


1. Stuck In The Middle With You - Steeler's Wheel
"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you."

2. Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
"Rate yourself and rake yourself and take all the courage you have left, wasted on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head."

3. Alcohol - Barenaked Ladies
"I thought that alcohol was just for those with nothing else to do. I thought that drinking just to get drunk was a waste of precious booze. Now I know that there's a time and there's a place where I can choose to walk the fine line between self-control and self-abuse."

(Note: This song was once on a playlist Shey made for Alaster, but I've long since lost the CD so I stole it for this one.)

4. Come Back Down - Greg Laswell, featuring Sara Bareilles
"All of your wallowing in unbecoming."

5. Fall Apart Again - Brandi Carlile
"Self-respect goes unexpressed, I don't dream 'cause I cannot sleep. And I think the world of myself but the world doesn't think much of me."

6. Angry People - Barenaked Ladies
"You see the happy people's biggest problem is they're never feeling their worst. While the rest of us will never sleep until your happy bubbles are burst."

7. For What It's Worth - Kygo, Angus Stone
"I'm a dog when I'm on the drink. I question the fabric of everything."

8. I Forget Where We Were - Ben Howard
"Oh hey, I wasn't listening. I was stung by all of us, the blind leading up the wall. And as per usual you were skipping and laughing, eyes at the bedroom door."

9. You Don't Scare Me - Josh Pyke
"I was all out of fight. Then the dark came down but no cavalry arrived. And those ne'er-do-wells love a sacrifice. But you don't scare me."

10. Too Little, Too Late - Barenaked Ladies
"One day, this embarrassment will fade behind me. And that day I can think of things that won't remind me."

11. Feet of Clay - Josh Pyke
"Sometimes I know I must strike you as a stranger, sad and unsteady on my feet of clay."

12. Believe - Mumford & Sons
"So open up my eyes, tell I'm alive. This is never gonna go our way if I have to guess what's on your mind."

13. The Fear - Ben Howard
"I've been worrying that my time is a little unclear. I've been worrying that I'm losing the ones I hold dear."

14. Fake The Dawn - Josh Pyke
"And I can see you, in that golden sun that you love. And in my hollow, I can fake a smile but I can't fake the dawn."

Summer's End

Artemis hated the end of summer. It meant she and Papa had to return her big brother to the elves. Artemis didn’t understand why Kniles couldn’t live among their hunter community the whole year long. She didn’t understand what the elves could possibly offer her brother that their family couldn’t do better. Papa had told her they could offer him an education in the elven academy that they could never hope to match in the wildwoods with the hunters. Artemis had scoffed at this. What better education could there be than out in the wildwoods? At least the hunters accepted Kniles for who he was instead of what he was. She had seen the sneers of disdain that many of the elves viewed upon her brother. It made Artemis want to smash their pretty faces in. She was only ten, but already she was of a height with many of the more petite adult elves. Her brother, at thirteen, was close to outweighing every elf in the city. By the time he was fifteen, she wagered, he would tower over all of them like their papa did. Well, she looked up at her 6’5” father leading them through the wildwoods, maybe not exactly like Papa.

As the trio approached the border of the elf territory, Artemis could feel her dread intensifying. Her brother helped keep the darkness away. Kniles was one of the few people who could draw her away from the evil inside. When she and Kniles were on a  hunt together, Artemis almost felt normal. She could be herself around him. They could talk about anything. Her brother was understanding and didn’t belittle her over the gloom inside her like the other humans did. Together they were the most normal pair of siblings in the realm. She, with her dark braided hair and suntanned skin, and he, with his flawless elf skin, pointed elf ears and golden blond locks. The only thing marking them as siblings were their dark eyes. Often Artemis wondered if Kniles shared the darkness in his soul mirrored by their eyes, or if that was a trait that came from her mother.

“Will you meet my friend this time?” Kniles asked, drawing Artemis out of her musings. Papa had fallen behind them to check some tracks. Looking at Kniles, Artemis noted his expression held a certain mindfulness Artemis couldn’t quite place. Ah, he was placating her. She saw that now. He didn’t want another fight.

“This Zi girl,” she asked, carefully trying to sound light even with the harsh thoughts rolling around her head. “It’s strange that you spend so much time with a child, Kniles.” Kniles grinned at this statement, and Artemis smiled back despite herself. Damnit.

“She’s almost your age,” he explained. “But she seems older because of all the work she has to do. Besides, her position makes her a bit of an outcast like me.” Artemis scowled, and Kniles realized what he had said. “I didn’t mean that--” he started before Artemis cut him off.

“Oh, I know exactly what you meant,” she snapped. “The elves don’t appreciate you. They don’t like you. They tolerate you because your Mum is so important.”

“Artemis,” came the warning tone from their father behind them. This was an old argument. She turned on him, and stopped dead in the path to glare him down. Or, rather, up, as the case may be.

“You know I’m right,” Artemis declared. She whirled on Kniles. “You both know I’m right.”

“That may be,” Papa said, in his calmly disarming bass. “But this was the agreement I made with Elowen when she told me she was with child.” Papa placed a gentle hand on Artemis’ shoulder. “A hunter keeps his word,” he told her, repeating the old mantra.

“But--” she started before her father stopped her with a wave of his hand.

“Would you want your Papa to be known as a liar?”

“No sir,” Artemis said speaking to the pair of feet in her well-worn leather boots.

Papa took a knee and pulled Artemis into a hug. “You know I would never allow any harm to come to your brother with the elves,”  he murmured into her ear. She nodded into his shoulder.

“It’s just not fair,” she whispered back, fully aware of the twin streaks of tears streaming down her cheeks. Damnit.

“Kniles is part elf, sweeting,” Papa explained in that soft tone, patting her back soothingly. “Would you decide he could never see his mother or his little friend Zi again?”

“If I could keep them from hurting him,” she sobbed, “Keep him with us.”

“Ah,” said Papa, knowingly. “But that wouldn’t be fair to Kniles, would it?” Aside from the occasional sniffle, Artemis was completely silent. “He loves some of those elves, Artemis--his mother, his little girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Kniles inserted into the conversation. He had been giving them some space, but apparently he had to comment on this. Artemis rolled her eyes. She was about to argue that Kniles had talked of little else all summer, but stopped herself. Damnit. Papa was right. It wouldn’t be fair to Kniles after all. She was being selfish. She pushed herself out of the hug.

Papa chuckled. “Maybe,” he agreed if only to pacify his son. “But, maybe not.”

“Papa!” Kniles groaned, “Zi’s a little kid.”

Artemis decided to laugh with her father. “Weren’t you just saying how grown up she is?”

“Yeah, but I meant it as a friend.” Kniles was growing bright red. “She’s smart and I like to talk to her.”

“I think he likes her, Papa.”

“You might be right, little hawk,” Papa said, ruffling her hair..

Kniles became even more red faced. “Please don’t tell Mother,” he begged them. “I think I’ve been hiding it from her pretty well.”

At this, Papa burst out in a bark of laughter. “Son,” he said, straightening up after a moment. “Trust me. It is impossible to hide anything from that woman. She probably knows how your entire life will unfold. She knows about this little crush.”

“It’s not a crush,” Kniles adamantly told them. This was met with more laughter from his sister and father.

Artemis grinned at her big brother, before spinning on her heel and starting off on their journey again. “Let’s get you to Ar before sunset.” With any luck, they would arrive on time, and would get to spend the night within Elowen’s roomy guest quarters. “We wouldn’t want to keep your little girlfriend waiting,” she sang over her shoulder, much to Kniles’ embarrassment. What if anyone heard? The trio continued towards the elven city. Artemis could do this for her brother. She could face the darkness for three seasons so he could be happy. Next summer would be here in no time. Artemis just had to survive this summer’s end.