Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 11

York

I snuck back into the tent trying to be very quiet, and I crawled up next to Valen. Either I wasn't as quiet as I meant to be, or my shuffling woke him up, or both, because he sat almost straight up and looked over at me.

"What are you doing? I thought you said we couldn't sleep together." He sounded confused, but mostly tired.

"Did I wake you?" I asked.

"No, I was just thinking. Now answer my question."

"I thought a little cuddling wouldn't hurt." I tugged at his arm a little playfully.

He smiled, or at least I imagine he did, it was surprisingly dark in the tent. He shifted and he put his leg in between both of mine, we went to bed looking at each other.

I woke up late in the night, I'd say I only slept for about 3 or 4 hours. Valen and I had moved, he was spooning me and had his arm draped over my side. I felt his breath warm on the back of my neck.

It felt weird but okay. I'd only met him a few hours ago, that well had some serious magic in it, especially since he liked women before me. I didn't know how to feel knowing about the well, it's almost like he didn't even choose to fall for me. Well I guess he didn't, but would he have liked me if he never drank from the well. Probably not, or maybe.. I'm not sure.

I sighed and very carefully took Valen's arm off of me and crawled away as quietly as I could. He shuffled around little bit but otherwise he didn't wake up. I cralwed out of the tent as discreetly as possible and stood, wiping the dirt off of my gear.

"Can't sleep?" I was greeted by a very gruff voice. I jumped and looked up at who had spoke, I saw that it was just Marhara. He was sitting on the ground staring right into it. He seemed 1,000 miles away.

"Oh, you scared me." I smiled.

He laughed, but he didn't smile, somehow. "Something wrong?'

"You first." I sat down to the side of him but not next to him.

"Just thinking about my wife back at home, Ceylorn. Ashanaya probably told you about her." He sighed.

"Yes, she's the new matriarch of the Evenura right?"

He nodded solemnly. "I miss her. With giving birth to a stillborn child and holding the weight of the entire clan, she's got a lot on her shoulders. Ashanaya made a good choice. Ceylorn was the best for the job. Juliana would've went crazy, Kahlie would've also went crazy, Huneil has too many children to watch after, Grejai has some very strange ideas for what the future of our clan should be. Most of the other women in the clan are either too young, too old, or are newcomers. Their bloodline hasn't been in the clan long enough to rule. I may have been a newcomer but Ceylorn wasn't. I wish there just was another option."

"I-"

"So I answered your question, what's your deal then?" He looked over at me. His words sounded mean, but his face told me they weren't meant to be.

"I'm just thinking. All the stuff Ashanaya told me and the stuff that's already happened, it's confusing." I shrugged.

"You're not homesick? Everyone else is." He raised an eyebrow.

"No. I've never really had a home. I'm not old enough to be a wood nymph, or a water nymph, or an elder nymph so they have me bouncing around too see which I fit best with. None of them like having me there. I'm a bit of a pariah because I don't prefer women, I'm half human, and my mother is a criminal." I guess I'm not one to hide things. Though no one really needs to know why mother is a criminal or about Malia unless they ask. Other than Valen of course, and that's only because he already knows.

"You're half human?" Marhara seemed surprised.

I nodded. "The leaders seem to think that's why I don't really fit in, and why I don't really fit in with any of the elves. At first they thought I'd be a water nymph because my eyes were blue, then the thought I'd be a wood nymph because my ears are pointed. Now they sent me here because they say I could be an elder nymph, I think the Chieftan just wanted to get rid of me. I wasn't able to perform simple wood nymph duties. Maybe he thinks if he sends me away like this I'll die."

"Hmm." Marhara seemed to be contemplating something. "The elves in the Evenura always accused me of having a human father. Well, the word accuse is a little wrong for everyone but Ashanaya's mother. No one was really against humans except for her and 1 or 2 of the older elves. I'd still never let them know they were right."

"You're half human too?" I asked. He nodded. It was quiet for a minute but I had anotehr question. "Ashanaya's mother was against humans?"

He nodded again. "You'd never believe the way her entire personality changed between talking to an elf, or a nymph, maybe even a druid, to talking to a human. She was just so cold to them and completely awful. You could ask Cullen, I'm sure it's fresh in his mind.

It doesn't make any sense either. I'd heard that her husband was half human or something. Really explains Ash'."

"'Or something'? Couldn't you just ask Ashanaya?" I asked.

He shook his head. "She doesn't really like to talk about it. Figures, her mother probably told her it's something to be ashamed of, and her father died years ago. Her and Valen actually met at the ritual of the dead if I remember right. They were just kids. I think her fahter's name was Rinash or something."

"Do you know of any men in the Evenura who are... interested in men?"

He stopped to think. "Well now I know Valen." He chuckled. "I think there was this one guy, Yazarie. No one minded, elves don't really have a problem with that kinda thing."

I wonder if mother had slept with an elf instead of a human if they could've sent me to the Evenura. My ears are already pointed, I'd just be a little paler than the rest, and my eyes would be a strange colour I suppose.

"You don't seem to like being a nymph that much." Marhara observed.

"It has some perks. My ears are rounded enough that I could fit in with humans, but pointed enough that I'd had to say I have some sort of birth defect. I'm very good with magic, I can hold my breath twice as long as a human or elf can, but half as long as a druid, I'm very good with magic, I just don't practice it often. My eyesight is well developed, smell is a tad under-developed but all of my other senses are very good. If I touched the silk one some of Cullen's clothes I could tell you the fabric, how it was made, how long it took to make, whether or not it was slave labour, and if it was expensive or cheap. But the nymphs aren't forgiving. They accept a wide variety of things, but if you are one of the things they don't accept then you are instantly and outsider, there's no getting out of it. It made it worse being an orphan because I had no one to go to about how I felt." I noticed I was rambling and I shut my mouth.

"I guess all of us have had it pretty hard. Cullen won't even open up about his problems. Guess that just means their worse than I can imagine. And Valen," He nodded to the tent I'd crawled out of. "Both of his parents died 10 years ago, same time as little Ash's father died. The only thing he kept was his mother's quiver, and I think he gave that to Ashanaya a few years ago because she's had it ever since."

I looked over to the tent. He hadn't told me about his parents. Never mentioned them or anything. I guess I just assumed they weren't significant figures in the clan, or he had already branches off away from them or something. I never would've guessed they died. He only would've been 7 or 8. What an awful age to lose your parents.

I stood up. "Thank you for the talk Marhara, but I should probably go back to bed."

"No problem." He nodded and started looking back into the fire.

I climbed into the tent and crawled up next to Valen. I guessed he just sensed I was there, because he rolled over and pulled me close, but his breathing was still slow like he was asleep. I held his arm close and I didn't wanna let go. I thought about how he probably hadn't had anyone like this in years. Children sleep by their parents, he probably hasn't slept by anyone since. Maybe I'll ask, I'll be sure to leave out the parents however, don't want to bring up any old wounds, and he'll tell me himself when he's ready.