Of Magic And Men

When Peter awoke, he was again disoriented, not from lack of memory this time, he remembered everything that had happened, his mother dying, fleeing the village, meeting Silicont, and flying, my goddess was the flying ever amazing. No, he remembered, he was disoriented because he was indoors and in a very comfortable bed, he had always just slept on a pile of hay. Just as he was considering rolling over and going back to sleep, someone walked in past the curtain partition.

He sat up, this wasn’t just anyone thought Peter, this was the most beautiful woman to ever step foot in his life, she had chestnut brown hair that was half tied behind her head, half falling in small braids down her back, similar to how his mother kept her hair. Looking back at him, the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen, her skin like melted milk chocolate. Before he could even say hello, she threw clothes in his face and spoke.

“Get up, Merlin has waited long enough for you, farm boy.” She then walked back out of the hut.

Peter noticed she sounded irritated at having to wake him. He looked down at the clothes that had fallen from his face to his lap. He didn’t have anything on except for his trousers, this was embarrassing, the loveliest girl he had ever met and he was in his underwear.

He swung his legs over the edge of his cot and his bare feet met the grass. It looked as if this hut had been quickly thrown together using fabric and sticks, the more he studied his surroundings the more he figured it was probably constructed just for him. He quickly stood up realizing his hosts were waiting for him. Getting dressed as fast as he could, realizing halfway through that he had no idea what he was doing, he had never worn anything other than pants and tunics. These seemed more in fashion as monk robes like he saw in picture books from the library. Once he finally figured it out, he took a deep breath to settle his nerves and stepped out into the day. It was beautiful, sunlight streaming past the billowing white clouds that speckled the sky. It looked as if they were in a small clearing on the edge of an evergreen forest, the grass shined, sprinkled with the morning dew. Everything looked and smelled so refreshing. He found the woman leaning on a tree near his tent opening, she looked impatient, tapping her heel against the tree trunk. When he approached her, he noticed that they were now wearing the same coloured robes. He assumed there was some significance to it all. She uncrossed her arms and walked towards him as if he wasn’t walking fast enough.

“Come on, farm boy.” as she passed him, he noticed something new about her, her ears were long and pointed, like an elf from his mother’s stories. Slowly everything clicked in his head, elves, alicorns, wizards, dragons, it was all real! Everything his mother told him as a child was real! The world as he knew it was a lie, he had told himself as a child. How was he supposed to live with this information, just then, snap!

“Are you coming?” She seemed even more annoyed than before as she snapped her fingers in front of Peter’s face.

“Yes! S.s.ssorry...” Peter had never been one to stutter, but his world had just turned out to be fake and he had troubles coming to terms with it. Trying to push it out of his mind, he started to follow the strange elf. It would have to be something he took time to think about later. The elf moved quickly but not hurried, very confident in every movement, Peter did his best to follow her, trying to seem as confident in his motions as she. They quickly arrived at a more permanent-looking hut, somewhat grander than his. The elf woman held the curtain partition to the side and motioned with her head that Peter should enter ahead of her. He nodded then ducked his head to enter so as not to bump into the curtain or her arm.

“Welcome, Peter.” A deep voice called from his right; he turned his head in the direction the voice had come from. Sitting on the edge of a bed was a thin elven man with white hair braided and pulled half back in a similar fashion to the female. The elderly man beckoned for the woman who was now behind Peter to come closer. As she approached, she bent down and helped the man to stand, he seemed to struggle to lift himself up even with the aid of another. Peter wondered to himself if he should also offer help to the elder. Just as he motioned to take a step forward to assist, the man put out his hand, to say no. Once upright the woman passed the man a staff to keep his balance and stepped away, finding her spot behind and to the right.

“Peter, thank you for coming, I am Merlin and this is my daughter, Alaya.” Peter glanced quickly to Alaya then back to merlin.

He looked old enough to be her grandfather, the way he hunched forward, not her father, but he would keep his thoughts to himself. Why had his mother wanted him to find this man he seemed so fragile and frail, what could he possibly have to help Peter, and what exactly did he need help with?

“Peter, I know you have many questions and I will try to answer them. Before her passing did your mother ever mention my name?” Peter was shocked by how Merlin knew Catherine had passed away.

Without having to answer, Merlin continued. “I take it from your expression that she had. Good, good, that means she already laid the groundwork.” Peter was so confused about what groundwork was he talking about.

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t think I understand.” Alaya now spoke. “Father, as you can see this farm boy knows nothing, I have told you time and again, we should not rely on a half breed to solve our problems.” Merlin looked upset.

“And I have told you time and again, to watch your tongue, he is a guest in our home and should be treated as such. Peter, I’m sorry for my daughter’s behaviour, she does not know what she says.”

“Wait half breed? What do you mean? I’m human and always have been.” Peter was almost certain he saw Alaya roll her eyes as he spoke. “Ah, I see where there has been a misunderstanding. You, Peter, are in fact human, but only half so. You are also half-elf, and such, have great magical potential. Your mother, Harsesh, was one of my greatest pupils before the war.” Merlin gazed off into the distance, remembering a better time. “You must have the wrong Peter; my mother’s name was Catherine and was a human just like me.” Merlin came back to the present.

“As much as you try to deny it, you are who you are. Harsesh Pani was your mother, she took the name Catherine Taylor when she traveled to the human realm in search of help in the war. After we lost, your mother and your father returned to the human realm to raise you.” It all seemed so outrageous, a half-elf, him? “If what you say is true why did my mother tell me to find you? And why if I’m a half-elf, do I not have pointed ears like yourselves?” In asking the question he reached to his ears to brush his hair out of the way so they could see he was telling the truth. When his hand met his ear though he did not find the tell-tale curve of a human upper ear, instead he found what he assumed was the same ear as Merlin and Alaya. Now both hands on his ears, this was all too much to handle everything he thought he knew was out the window. Goddess, what was he supposed to do? He started to panic. “I need a minute.” And before receiving a reply, darted out the door.