Elven Blood

Chapter 2 The Elf

A few days went by since the encounter with the prince and Cain's birthday. Everything happen so fast, Cain had a great time at his birthday dinner and the prince gave me a letter that I've yet to open.
I'm just sitting out here waiting for the time to pass and for Cain to come back from his duties in the city. I haven't returned to the city since the day I met the prince, I don't want to see him again anytime soon. Especially since I haven't even seen what the letter contains. It's just too odd for me. One moment the prince distrust me and almost wishes for me to be "illegal" or something and then bam he wants to know me and why... I existed? I don't know. I do not truly understand humans sometimes. I've lived for quite some time already and they still seemed to confuse me. Perhaps I should read the letter that he gave me.
The day he gave it to me his guards pop out of nowhere and one of them that look higher up had given him an earful by also eying me oddly.

Basically, the prince gave me a mysterious letter and left without another word with his guards.
This evening, I'm here, outside enjoying the sun in front of my home, with the letter on my lap, and my hand itching to open it.

"Hello there young one", a voice chimed through my thoughts. I looked up and a hooded human was near the edge of the forest, calmly walking towards the road near me. "Hey.." I answered cautiously, I normally don't talk to strangers but I won't be rude about it. He eyed me and his face slightly lit up, "you're a half breed!" Now he caught my full attention. Normally humans can't tell the difference between half breeds and pure breeds. I eyed him and frowned slightly, "how could you tell?" I asked him. The stranger smiled and removed his hood while switching direction and going towards me instead of the dirt road. My face probably looks like it was shocked or fearful. Most likely fear, "Don't be frightened, I won't chase you as my fellow kindred would." I stood up and my letter fell, this is the first time I've seen an actual elf, my father told me if I were to meet one, I should flee. No matter how kind they might look. "I'm sorry but I was thought to be very wary of elves.." I said slowly backing away, his smile widen "and rightly so my dear, but I won't harm you I swear to the earth." He gestured his arms in a matter to try to make me feel at ease. Which didn't, since I'm not familiar with the other half of my blood at all. I'm more comfortable around humans, but that would be probably because I've lived among them this whole time. Maybe I could trust this elf but I am not going take my chances. I bolted for the woods.
"Wait!"

****
I've been running in the woods for a few minutes, I know my way through this area just like the back of my hands, but I sense him following me but I don't see him and that makes me nervous.

I stopped and took a look at my surroundings wondering where the elf might be. I feel exposed, he could have a ranged weapon for all I know. I need to find a way to maneuver back home without the elf knowing where I am. I crouched down by a big tree behind some giant ferns and I started to listen. I hear some rustling leaves but it's more like wildlife rustle than a tall elf walking on leaves. I take a peek behind the tree to see if he's nearby but I can't seem to locate him. I can sense him but not see him... maybe the trees? I started to look upper to where I came from and a chuckle came from behind.

I bolted up and turned around. No one. And then I looked up. There he was sitting with a gentle smile on a branch.
"You almost think like a human but your other half instincts are still there to remind you of the trees and to listen." He said swinging one leg casually as he sits on the other. "Why are you following me? What do you want?" I demand as I once yet again back away from him. He gave me a long look and he jumps down from the tree and landed right in front of me. "As I said before I mean you no harm, I just want to talk."

I eyed him and kept my hands slightly at the ready if he attacks me. "Not to be rude. Say what you want so I can go." I said drily. He looks at me with a serene face, "you don't know much about our kind huh?" He stated, "I could educate you if you will, I can teach you how to handle pure-blooded elves like me and show you how to protect yourself the right way." His hand whips at me, grabs my arms and twisted it behind my back and shoved me against the tree while he grabs my other hand with his free one. "What the fuck! Let me go!" I yelled at him, trying desperately to yank free from his grasps. "Calm down." He said quietly. "You're hurting me!" I yelled once more at his face and still trying to yank free. He looks at me calmly," you are hurting yourself, I'm simply holding you down, once you have calmed, I will release you." He said calmly. I glared at him but slowly stopped struggling after a few minutes.
"Fine," I muttered. I stopped struggling and after a minute he released me. I start rubbing my arms on where he grabbed me. He's right when he said I was hurting myself, he was bearly holding me and I was the one yanking. "What was the point of you engaging at me like that? If it's just to let me go after I'm done freaking out!" I demand in frustration. "To show you that you do not act accordingly for trying to get away from me and you have poor reaction skills." He stated calmly. I frown at him, but in the back of my mind, I remembered what was the letter that fell aback at home. "Shit," I muttered as I look back from which I came. The elf raises a brow "Is there something bothering you besides me?" He inquired as he pulls out the letter from a hidden pocket from his outfit. My eyes widened "Give that back to me." I said and the elf shook his head. "No, you must work for it since you have pour defence skill." He said with a teasing tone.
I was not amused. I eyed the paper in his hand and then gazed back at him with hostility. "It was giving to me by someone of importance recently and I have yet to read it, I insist you give it back to me!" I demanded shaking, hoping he didn't notice.
"Asura!", a voice beamed far behind me. "Asura where are you!"... it was Cain. He must have seen me being chased into the forest by the stranger or has no clue where I was and he is looking for me since we're supposed to meet up.
I looked at the elf straight in the eyes. "My friend calls for me, either give it back or I answer to his calling."  
The elf looked behind me as if he could see beyond the thick forest. He looked back at me and smiled. I shiver ran down my spine. "Your friend is going in the opposite
direction." He then proceeded to back away from me and turned to run further into the woods. "For fuck sakes!" I bolted after him. Now I'm panicking, what if that letter was a summon from the royals or something. I cant not let him get away with it, it might be my head on the line!
Going further than I ever went before, trying to keep up with the fast elf.
"Please stop!" I yelled at him. But he didn't slow down, he just jumps towards a tree trunk, used his foot to twice his body towards me in mid-air, smiled with a glint of amusement in his eye and landed perfectly so he continued running in his original direction. He basically dances in the air to mock me on my slowness. What a piece of work. He's gonna regret pissing me off... I hope.
I don't even know how long I've been chasing him, but I'm losing energy fast. But I need that letter, why was I foolish and not read it the day I got it?
I was in my thoughts while running then the next thing I know, my ankle felt a pressure and I'm yanked from the earth and into the air. "Fack! Ow!"
My head hit the tree that the trap was attached to while I was swinging from the initial flung. A giggle came from below me. I look towards thinking it was the elf but.. it wasn't. "Hello! You're weird looking!" It giggles again before prancing away into now the darkened forest. "Wait!" I called back for the little imp. "Can you let me down?!" No answer. Not a sound in the area. Not even a bird or the rustling branches with the leaves in the wind. Utter complete silence. A knot started to form in my throat and stomach. Oh great it started to downpour. Don't get me wrong I love the rain and I dance with it. But right now, these woods are dark and now wet with even less visibility. I'm getting cold and my back started to hurt due to my ankle being pulled by my weight.

I need to get out of this trap and catch that elf.. wherever he may be... Well, this day was just brilliant. I try to bend my body towards my foot but the task was harder than I expected. I reach my foot finally after 15 minutes of struggling but encounter a new problem. The imp tied the knot with magic... I don't know what to do. What am I to do, I'm stuck in the air with magic. I'm wet and cold. I also don't know where I am anymore, I'm completely lost in the now officially dark forest. Time passed and I can now see the moon is shining above me with the stars peeking out of the thick tree branches and dark stormy clouds.

I couldn't hold anymore, I've stuck up here for what felt like forever, started to sob. I tried to composed myself but couldn't, I felt hopeless.
"Tsk" a familiar sound came from the dark. "I was wondering why you were no longer chasing me." The elf walks out of the bushes from where I last saw him. He jogs towards me and puts on a small sad smile. " Forgive me I would've let you down far sooner but I couldn't find you, the imps of the forest decided to play with us." He said while climbing the tree I was hanging from. He got to the branch I hung from, he grabs my ankle and said elvish words while gesturing his free hand in an odd motion on the rope.

The rope loosens its self free from me and he yanks me towards him and I landed on his lap. I was flabbergasted. He then proceeded on jumping down the tree with me in his arms.
I was somewhat embarrassed by my s wet tears on my face. Still holding me with one arm now, he took a cloth from one of his hidden pockets and started to wipe my face. He had a concerned look on his face, "I'm sorry," he said again, "for making you feel so unsafe that your human emotions took
over." He gently places me down and gave me the letter. "So much for the training, I wanted to give you, but this sorta works also." I stayed quiet because I was still cold and wet and now tired. He notices I was shivering. He then looked at the tree branches and closes his eyes while easing his arms towards them and then proceeds on murmuring elvish words, the branches then started to move above us blocking the rain from touching us. The elf then started to collect rocks and created a small spot for a fire, I caught on and started to collect branches and filling it up with it. He smiled at me gently and put his hand over the pit and said more elvish words, and fire appeared from his hands and into the now fire pit. I was mesmerized by the magic he can control.
He removed his top outfit that looks like a coat and placed it on me and drags me closer to the flames to warm up and dry up.

Peace came over me as we sat there silently, watching the flames crackling in the stormy night. My eyes started to get heavier and I started to lean. The elf puts his arm around me and brings me towards his chest. My slumber was coming quickly the moment my head was resting on his chest, hearing his slow rythme breath and his hand gently caressing my head while my eyes slowly fall into darkness.