Josho was no fool. He knew of the room in the tree of legends and prophecy. As he walked away from the rim with child now in arm, he feared his own people. Only the elders and the protectors where allowed to read those stories and of course unless you had the pure flame of an elder your eyes would deceive you in what you read. He had read the story of the child of pure. The one who would be of the eight and bring forth the new beginning for the people. She would heal the wounds and open the hearts and do many great things for the people. She would be marked for greatness, greater than just the tasks she would do for the people of the forest. The people of the forest would fear her and hurt her and turn her away but she would bring the people to a new whole. Her hair would be as black as coal, eyes of green emerald sparkles and marked.
Of course this had to be wrong and his eyes must have misread. There was only seven not eight. No elf known to them had black hair or green eyes. Only elders where pure and only the pure where able to enter the flame tongue unharmed.
He looked at his black hair, green-eyed, elven daughter, he doubted all that was but believed in what he held. Ever since he left the rim, he doubted many things he was told. The fire that lingered in his veins, for the woman with his seed, he had never had the burning for any other woman and he mated with all of his peers.
No one of the trees every told a story of such. There was a dark one but how much truth is in them? The burning reminded him that all things where not told. His dreams during rest was only of her and the pain in his spirit grew. He sat for hours with the dragons looking at the names on the walls of Zen. He saw the faint lines by his and wondered how this could be. She to would have to be bound to the forest for it to show. Next to the man and next to the woman the lines of the child’s name would form. Where was this woman’s name? He looked and looked. He knew the moment that his seed had been born. He had been sitting and watching the lines when the lines became clear “RAVEN”. He had a child, a fruit of his seed. He waited by the rim each working cycle waiting and wondering if she would come to him. His excitement grew each day till she showed up on the wing of a great one.
Her name still unknown to him but his passion became a renewed flame at the mere sight of her. He wanted to take her back with him, back to the forest. In her eyes he could see that she would never go. She gave him his seed and kissed him, a lonely kiss, and left. The spirit pain held him silent and empty, till he looked down in the little green eyes and black tuff of locks. Somehow he felt more whole. She had given him of herself, her seed. Now what was he going to do? How was he going to explain? Would they put him through the test of the dark and take his child? What would they do to her? Why did he doubt the people of the forest? They were loving people but still he feared for the little one. He felt a gentle touch by the spirits of the flame. Though they sought to comfort him, they seemed so far from him.
He climbed into the trees and holding the little one tight. He dropped everything he had but baby and sword in his hut and headed to the elders’ council. The little dragon friend curled around his neck. He marched into the meeting of the elders. All looked up at him. He was the most rewarded protector that had ever been, most held him in high esteem but some feared him. Any who challenged him in games fell to the way side in moments.
“I have been blessed with a seed. I will be her parent. Any questions?” he announced. His voice echoed in the quiet of the room.
The ancient one of the elders, stood up. “Have you broken the way of the people? You are a protector and have not choose to rest as a mate since you first matured.” He moved forward to him. Josho keep his eyes all about and watched Lebleg approach.
“Yes, I have broke the way. In many ways I did. I was a protector and took a women elven. She is and is not of our people and she brought forth my seed and I will be parent to my seed.” The sweet little thing in his arms opened her eyes and stared out.
“It has black hair and green eyes!” Lebleg exclaimed in horror. “It is the child of the dark.”
“NO!” Josho eyes narrowed, “She is a child of light for she is my seed. Check the tree of Zen. Her name is listed.”
The council went to the tree of Zen with Josho leading the way. They all look up to see the name of Raven fresh and deep in the wall of names. Each started to search for the mother. The dragon that sat in the middle of the room chuckled, and left for a stroll. All searched the walls high and found nothing.
Lebleg sat on a chair and rested as the others stood on ladders tracing the lines to find the mother. Lebleg look down at his hands and his eyes traveled across to the baseboard. Quickly he stood. “Okay now, we looked. It is time to go. We will test the child to see if it is light and dark. We will test you to brother.” He eyed Josho. “If either of you fail, you will be sent out as dark.”
The other members gasped in astonishment. No child could go through the tests. They are too weak and this one was a new flame but none stood up in defense of the baby. Josho nodded, dropping the sword and holding his Raven closer. He heard them squabbling, some thinking that Lebleg had left his mind, others fearing the power the dark would gain if Josho was sent out. Their voices faded as he made his way to his hut, stopping only to get food and supplies for his daughter.
If they pasted the test, all he had would be traded in for all that he would need. If they passed. He sat holding the little wonder in his arms. He could hear her heart beating in his ears. They where one to each other. Parent and child a whole. It was good. He whispered a prayer of safety for his little one.
The trees buzzed with stories.
“What do you see?” Rav asked her dragon friend.
“It goes as we knew it would little one.”
“Are they safe?” Her spirit ached to join Josho and her child.
The great beast sighed and shook his head. He thought to himself, “What a silly question she asks, they can never be safe.” His eyes closed and his mind opened wide. “My kin tell me that after you left the child, your mate sat in his hut for days, only holding and tending the child, waiting for them to come. He did not cared for himself, either food, drink or rest did he partaken of. He did not released the child for even a moment. They were safe in that moment of time. Do you wish me to look forward?”
The smile that was creeping across her face disappeared as he finished. “I am sorry, my mind was besides it self again. Thank you, for retrieving that for me. You will tell me the story in the fullness of time won’t you?”
“I will. You need to rest and your body needs to heal. Now lay with me little one and sleep.” She curled up into his arm, cradled in it like a child, and slept. He looked down at her and smiled. In his mind he thought, “You are not ready to hear the stories of life that your child of the pure will write. In the fullness of time my little one, in the fullness of time.”