The Eldars

4

Mauntie contacts his people and tells them everything that has happened and what he wishes to do. "Bring her Mauntie, the humans don't deserve her. She belongs with us." They all more or less say the same thing. His people, don't like humans, although they seem to want to know Katiri more.

After the others leave there is one left. "Bring her to us Mauntie. She belongs with the Eldar. She will be our daughter."

"Are you sure? Although the leaders welcome her not all the Eldar will." Mauntie worries over this, he loves his wife too much to put her through that kind of pain.

"You know how much I've longed to have a daughter, Mauntie. Now I will have the chance, although it will be for a short time only. Bring her home, I'll prepare her a room. How much longer before you return?"

"A week at most. She seems to have mostly recovered, she just needs to rest now. If the Eagles will agree it will only be  a couple more days." Mauntie sighs, he misses his wife's gentle touch and wishes to be in her arms once more.

"The time will drag on, my love. We owe this girl so much more than we can ever repay. The least we can do is give her the love of a family," Mauntie swears he hears tears. But the mind speak doesn't allow for that so it must just be his own projecting. If it weren't for Katiri he wouldn't be going home.

"Until we meet, my love." Mauntie says softly even as he feels the contact with his wife fade.

Mauntie wakes up and finds Katiri staring at him. He tries to smile and fails. He finds her mask of steel rather daunting and it makes him uncomfortable.

"Who were you talking to?" Her words make him jump. How did she know?

"My people. I needed to make sure that they would support my decision." Mauntie decides that full honesty is the best way to deal with the human girl that is so much more.

"And what exactly do you wish to do or rather what is your decision?" Katiri asks her voice more than a little wooden.

"I told them about you and what you did for me. I told them that I wanted to bring you back with me and have you be as one of my people."

Katiri snorts in derision, "The Eldar look down on humans even worse than the elves do and they barely tolerate us. Why would your people accept me?"

"You are special Katiri. You have far more power in you than other humans and even more than most of my people. You need to learn to use and embrace that part of you. What you can do without training is amazing, beyond amazing actually. Just think what you will be able to do with training? That's what we, my people and I will do, is train you so that you will reach your full potential."

Katiri gives Mauntie a sardonic smile. "Right, Mauntie, you might be leader of your people, but they will never accept me as one of you. My people didn't even accept me, there's very little chance of your people accepting me. Besides, after I'm taught, what? I go back to the humans? Hope the elves take me in?"

"You will be part of my family. The daughter my wife and I always wanted but never had." Mauntie's calm words are like a firebrand to Katiri though and her facade of calm shatters.

"You want me as your daughter?" Katiri looks at the leader of the Eldar like he's lost his mind.

"Yes, we will be leaving as soon as possible. You should rest while I fix us something to eat and make travel arrangements." Katiri fights the suggestion, but Mauntie is still stronger than she is at this point and she finds herself falling asleep. Soon the forced sleep turns to true sleep and she finds rest, her sleep untroubled by nightmares or any dreams at all.