5 Saving a Human Girl

'Why did I do this?' Lucas thought.

The elf was huddled under a blanket next to the fire. It felt a lot colder than normal, because he had given his cloak to the human girl with a fever.

'If the rest of the village finds out I helped a human, I will be banished,' he thought.

Banished elves had no choice, but to live with the humans. Working as an adventurer would help him survive, but he could never trust the humans not to sell him.

Elves sold for high prices, so they were constantly on watch for human slave traders. Lucas did not want to spend the rest of his life as someone else's play thing, nor did he want to spend it in forced labor.

The safest places for elves were in the elf villages that were hidden in the forests. None of them were elaborate like the human cities, but they were a free place. However, he couldn't turn a blind eye to those in need.

In his heart, the moment he saw the girl his fate was sealed. It would be a miracle if no one had seen him by now. Lucas looked miserably into the fire. He was going to end up like his father.

His father had been banished from the village for helping a human man after a hunting accident. How many years had he been alone now? Twenty, thirty years? They all seemed to blend together. He wondered if his father had found a safe place to live among the humans.

Throwing another log on the fire he sighed. He glanced at the human girl and the worries in his heart eased a bit.

'The herbs I gave her seem to be working.'

He wasn't sure if elf remedies would work the same way for humans. This was the first time he had seen a human. His village had a no contact policy on humans. There were some villages that accepted humans. You could find half-elves there. However, there were no such villages here.

'Is this fire big enough to keep her warm?' Lucas wondered. He shook his head. 'I can't make it any bigger without attracting unwelcome company.'

He could scoot closer to her and use his body warmth to keep her warm.

'No, that would only frighten her more,' he thought.

In the end, he remained huddled under the blanket he had brought with him.

'It will be difficult for her to travel through this forest in those clothes,' he thought. 'Everything should be fine if I return immediately.'

With that thought in mind, the elf slowly slipped into the forest and made his way back to his village.

"What happened to your cloak, Lucas?" the guard at the elf boundary asked him.

"I made a mistake and it got wet. I left it to dry in a tree," he mumbled.

The guard looked at him suspiciously, but let him through. Lucas slipped into the small hut he shared with his friend Alva.

"Why are you back so late?" Alva asked.

Lucas held a finger up to his lips before he said softly, "Quiet. I don't want to wake up the neighbors." Then he quietly started stuffing extra clothes and other items into a pack.

Alva gave him a strange look and whispered, "Are you going somewhere?"

Lucas took a deep breath and turned to his friend. "I did something that will get me banished. I can't tell you the details, but I am not going to come back."

Lucas trusted his friend. It was a huge risk to tell him, but he explained what had happened.

"I just couldn't stand by and watch her die." He held his head in his hands.

Alva's hand rested on his shoulder. "I won't say anything, but you were no doubt seen in that area. Take this with you." Alva handed over his prized sword.

"No, I can't take that from you." Lucas tried to refuse the gift.

"I am already having another one made for your coming of age. I only regret that I wasn't able to give you the new one." Alva said.

Lucas reluctantly took the heavy weapon into his hands. His heart ached that he may never see his dear friend again. "May the spirits light your path and always be at your side." Lucas said.

"May the spirits guide your way and protect you in times of harm." Alva said back to him.

It was the traditional farewell amongst their village.

"I will always remember you, dear friend." Lucas said.

Alva slung his thick cloak around Lucas. "You gave your cloak away. Here take mine. I can always buy another."

Lucas wiped away a single tear and shoved the rest of his things into the large pack. Grabbing a smaller pack in the corner he headed for the door. "I will tell Mother and Father in the morning. Go in peace." Alva said.

Alva's parents had taken him in when his father was banished. With his heart tight he left the small village he had spent his entire life in. He climbed the tallest tree and looked over the entirety of the small village in the new dawn.

The guards were already looking for him.

'Goodbye my home.'

He broke through the barrier surrounding the village and headed back to the small camp with the still sleeping girl. Since he had left of his own accord, the guards should not pursue him outside the border.

Eva blinked at the bright sun in the sky. 'Did I pass out?' The crackling noise of a fire caused her to turn her face to the warmth. She blinked as she got used to the light. She paused as she realized she didn't start this fire.

She rose halfway to a sitting position when she realized a heavy cloak was covering her. She glanced around and saw a figure under a blanket staring at her. She pulled the cloak over her immediately.

Fear caught in her throat as she recognized the pointed ears of the man.

'An elf?'

Her whole life she had been taught stories of how elves were vicious creatures. Her breaths came in short spurts as she panicked slightly.

'Wait, is this the elf's cloak? Why would a vicious elf give her his cloak?' None of this was making sense.

"You are awake. I placed a water jug to your right. You need to drink." The elf gestured toward the jug.

His voice sounded like a soft melody when it reached her ears. 'Is this what elves sound like?' She wondered.

Eva picked up the jug and sniffed the water before taking a drink.

"It would have been far easier to leave you to the wolves in this forest than to poison your water," the elf complained.

He was right, she was being rude to the person who saved her.

"I apologize. I have never met an elf you see." She bowed her head.

"Same for me and humans," he replied.

She looked at him curiously.

"I had never met a human until I found you unconscious in the woods yesterday," he replied.

Eva nodded her head as if that made sense. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Eva Von…. It's just Eva." Her last name had no meaning anymore.

"Lucas," the elf replied.

'I am actually speaking to an elf,' she thought. Despite the terrible things that happened, she could still find amusement in this.

"Here, your fever only went down this morning." The elf handed her a cup.

"W-hat is it?" She scolded herself for her broken speech.

"Herbs. If you don't take medicine your fever may come back." He looked away as if he was uncomfortable.

Eva grabbed the cup he was holding up and drank the herbal tea mixture in one go. 'Bitter,' she winced.

Lucas cleared his throat and handed her a small bundle. "I won't look," he said.

A blush crept up her cheeks as she realized he had handed her clothes. She had forgotten about the ripped wedding dress she was wearing. She walked over behind a tree. Even if he promised not to peek, she couldn't just change near him.

She felt much better once she pulled on the long sleeved tunic and pants. She used a cord to tie the pants tightly around her waist. They were big on her.

'This was probably his spare set of clothes,' she realized.

Tucking in the tunic, she stepped out from behind the tree. The dress had suffered rips and tears from her trek through the forest. Embarrassment was an understatement as she realized this was why the elf had looked away. She settled back next to the fire.

"The cloak is for you too. It is rude to take a cloak back once given," he said. Lucas pulled up the hood of the cloak to hide his burning ears. It was only now that he realized what he had done.

"That is an odd custom," Eva replied, before slinging the cloak onto her shoulders.

Lucas' blush deepened and he turned away from the human girl.

'He must be shy.' Eva concluded. She didn't know if this was normal behavior for elves or if he had just never spoken to a girl before.

******

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