Boys of Freedom

[1] 𝕰𝖑𝖛𝖊𝖘 𝕬𝖓𝖉 𝕽𝖊𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖘

(Elves And Rebels)
★
Elion
★

"Elasha, you have to focus."

I shook my hair out of my face, and pulled the arrow back once again.
"It's Elion."

I let go of the arrow, and watched it fly through the amber sky with incredible speed. I was actually getting quite good at this.

I placed my bow and arrows down, and rubbed my hands together. My breathing turned to what looked like smoke in freezing cold evening air, and I shivered slightly.

"That's enough for today, you did great, Elasha."
My mum gathered the rest of the arrows on the ground and turned to look at me.
I shook my head again. "Elion, mum. It's Elion," I hissed.

"We've talked about this," replied my mum, trying to sound as calm as possible, though her voice was shaking with something that I couldn't really figure out yet. Was it worry? Cruelty? Embarrassment of her only child? Her son?

"It is strictly forbidden to change your name given to you by your parents, if you're born into an elf family."
She squeezed my shoulder. "It has a special connection between you and your parents."

"And so what?"

A flicker of tension pulled at the corner of her mouth. She forced it into a tight line, a sharp inhale, which was the only warning of the storm brewing beneath.
"It can protect you from harm and suffering," she growled.

"I don't want protection," I said.
"And I'm a half-elf, I don't care about your stupid elf-rules."
I picked up my bow, snapping it in half.

"My name's Elion, and I'm a boy."

I hurried back to our camp, cutting down any plants or overgrown grass in my way with my small silver dagger. What was her problem? I didn't choose this?

A cold breeze on my face made me snap out of my thoughts.
I wiped tears on my cheeks away with the back of my hand. I hadn't even noticed, that I had been crying. My body was shaking uncontrollably, but I tried my best to just put one foot in front of the other until I reached the camp of Emerald Clan.

"Elion, dear! Come join us for some soup," shouted one of the elders with her croaky voice. She was one of the very few people in camp, who didn't treat me as an outcast in our clan, just because I was a half-elf and didn't exactly always fit in with everyone else. It wasn't my fault my idiot-of-a-human-dad had fallen for my even-more-horrible-elf-mum and then randomly decided to just leave us behind and return to the human world. And it also wasn't my fault that was supposed to have been born a boy. I didn't want to be an outcast, a traitor or-
well, a girl. Because I wasn't.

At least one person in this clan actually treated me as something more than that. Something worthy of love and understanding.

The kind elder - Tauriel - was like a grandma to me, always making sure that I ate well.
"Hardworking boys needs to eat." She stirred in a big cauldron, and signaled me to come and sit down. Her silvery hair glowed in the light from the campfire in front of her.

"Not hungry, sorry."
I walked past her, but felt a stab of guilt, as I noticed her dark eyes burning with worry on my back.
"Ehm, actually, it is pretty cold outside, let me just get a small portion."
I sat down on one of the many tree stump chairs, and warmed my hands on the gentle fire in front of me.

"Here you go, love."

The soup tasted meaty and it was piping hot.
She had given me a much larger portion, than what I had asked for, but I didn't say anything and took a big spoonful in my mouth, burning my tongue.