Meiva (Mee-va) in my mother's tongue, means "Balance". I'm not sure the word exists in my father's language, except for me of course. I think they chose that name in an effort to wish harmony upon the two villages. My mother is an Elf. I have not seen her since I was 2 months old, yet I remember her. Or maybe it's just the want of her that I can recall so vividly. My father says I am her twin, except I got his "unfortunate nose". In my minds eye I can see my small, infant hands wrapping around the strands of her dark hair and I can feel the heat of her breath on my head when she leans forward to kiss me good night and I can see the affection for me in her wide, dark eyes. Father says I can but only imagine these things, but me? I know they're real.
I was raised in a human realm by my Father, alone. I went through human school. Learned human lessons. Here, there were others like me, but they are not like me. And we are not friends.
At thirteen I left. Father had a new wife and new children and I silently disappeared little by little. When I asked to go to my great-grandfather in Stahel, my father paused mere seconds prior to agreeing readily. I packed my satchel and I waved goodbye. I did not cry.
My great-grandfather is not a kind Elf. He is stern and righteous. At first, I kept to myself. There were not many half-elves in my mother's land. The ones that did coexist here, did so by following the strict rules and staying in the shadows. I cooked and cleaned for Grandfather, typical of any female child my age. Very few women were permitted to become educated beyond hearth and home. Asking for more from my life, or better, more for my education was unheard of it. In most realms it still is. I am one of the lucky ones. I have a gift.
It seems like many years pass in a single year when you're young, worse maybe if you're in a strange land and with beings that don't care or appreciate your presence to begin with. An eternity passed and life went on. Day-in, Day-out, I did chores, I read whatever book I could get my hands on without being noticed and I kept to myself. I ignored the taunts of the other children my age. It became easier after a while, or maybe it was that they gave up trying to get a reaction from me, I don't know. Then things changed.
It was late, very late. The moon was high in the sky, the air crisp and cold. The entire village was asleep, Grandfather and myself included. I woke suddenly to rustling outside my window. I pulled the drape back and peered into the night. More rustling, closer, more intense than before. I slide out of bed and into my robe and shoes. Grandfather had woken up as well and warned me to return to bed. Then there was screaming and people were running and scared and loud and a feeling of helplessness rushed over me.
It was late, very late. The moon was high in the sky, the air crisp and cold. The entire village was asleep, Grandfather and myself included. I woke suddenly to rustling outside my window. I pulled the drape back and peered into the night. More rustling, closer, more intense than before. I slide out of bed and into my robe and shoes. Grandfather had woken up as well and warned me to return to bed. Then there was screaming and people were running and scared and loud and a feeling of helplessness rushed over me.
In spite of my Grandfather's warning, I stepped through the door into the night. There, just a few feet from me, a large, black animal was towering 10 feet tall on it's back legs. It made an awful sound, loud and guttural. The men were using long spears to threaten and push it back toward the woods. It was clear though, that if this animal wanted to destroy us all, it could readily do so with little effort. It's front claws were long, paws large and thick.
I moved forward, cautiously. The men were warning me to return to the safety of the house, to run away. The creature turned and looked at me. Its eyes were sad and hungry. It walked to me, slowly, cautiously as if it were actually afraid of ME rather than the other way around. I stood still. Waiting. It stopped in front of me. Sat back on its legs and put its front paws on the ground. I held my trembling hand out. It smelled my hand and then laid it's face on it as if in a caress. I smiled at it and rubbed it's cheek softly.
I was acutely aware of the growing silent circle that surrounded us. I looked away and toward the Men and women staring at us. I told them they were safe, this animal meant us no harm. It was just hungry, the cold winter making scavenging for food difficult. I gathered tools and led the animal away from the village and into the woods.
Nearby there is a wide, shallow stream. I took the animal there and used my ax to crack the thickening ice large enough for the animal to prey on the fish that swam under it. It nuzzled my face appreciatively.
I turned and made the short trip back to the village, weary and cold. When I stepped into the clearing I could hear the elders talking in a hushed whispers. With a sigh I rounded our home and stood next to the large group of men. My grandfather made a noise, silencing the group.
"Grandfather, I..." I began to apologize, for what I was not sure, but it seemed to be the right thing to say.
"Meiva," he interrupted me, "you could have been injured or killed. That was a very foolish thing to do."
"I know, Grandfather," I stumbled over my words. I did know, but I also knew that there were no choices in my actions. It came from inside me. The animal recognized it too. It was soothed by my presence. "I don't know why that happened."
"Child," He continued, "The creature knew your soul. Your spirit calmed and controlled the animal. It saw your goodness and it trusted you. You led it to safety and protected your brethren with no concern for yourself. Let us sleep," he concluded.
The next day my lessons began. Weapons, herbs, tracking, anything my Grandfather knew he was determined to pass on to me. Others in our village shared their knowledge with me as well. After three years of constant lessons, my Grandfather told me I was ready for the truth. The truth about my mother.
