Sierra pulled tight her cloak when a cold gust of wind blew through the main street. A loud crash echoed from the mountain, and her eyes turned towards it. A somber tension hung through the village as everyone went about their day.

Many weren’t comfortable with the elves staying in the village, and the thought of them living close by wasn’t sitting well either. The grumblings were getting worse when the tavern was open. She wanted to do something about it, but she had no idea of how to help. For the past week, she tried helping the elves staying at the tavern, but they always turned her away. She understood why, and that’s why she kept trying.

“Hopefully Bella has some ideas.” She sighed as she knocked on Nathaniel’s door.

Ralia opened the door and glared down at her. “It’s you.” She huffed stepping. “Master Nathaniel isn’t here, but your free to come in.” Sierra stared in shock as Ralia stomped away.

“That’s no way to treat a guest.” Bella scolded her as she entered the main hall.

“Is she alright?” Sierra asked with a worried frown.

“She’s upset.” Bella whispered back. “When we were in capital, she tried to have a child with master Nathaniel.”

“She’s with child!”

“I’m not!” Ralia snarled at them with red eyes.

Bella pulled Sierra close. “She’s afraid that she and Nathaniel are incompatible.”

Sierra’s heart twisted at the sight of Ralia holding herself. Her tail swayed rapidly as her fingers dug into her arms. Sierra slowly approached as Ralia rubbed her red nose.

“What do you-” Sierra interrupted Ralia with a hug. Ralia returned the hug with a tight embrace. “Thank you.”

“I’m here if you want to talk.” Sierra smiled at her.

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that.” Ralia chuckled, running a hand through her hair. “So, what brings you here today?”

“I’m here for Bella.” Sierra smiled at the elf. “I was wondering if there is something I can do to help?”

“That’s kind of you, but I think it’s best to give them some space,” Bella said sadly, “But I’d appreciate it if you could be patient with them. Relying on nature has made us a gracious people, but being secluded has also made us weary of change.”

Sierra nodded with a frown. “How long do you think it’ll take for them to start accepting us?”

“It’s hard to say, but if we work together then we should be able to change their minds.”

“Is that what Nathaniel is doing now?”

“Yes, he’s with Eladregn helping establish where the elves are going to live.” A small smile came to her lips. “Ever since he freed us, the elves are a little accepting of his presence.”

----------------------------------------

Tension filled the air as Nathaniel and Eladregn stared at each other. The elf glared down at him, ignoring the sounds coming from the robots as they went about their work. Eladregn flinched as a tree crashed to the ground, and his mouth twisted into a sour frown as two robots carried it away.

“Why must you cut down the trees?” Eladregn snapped. “Given enough time, we could have used them to shape saplings into perfectly good houses.”

“Proper forestry is needed to protect the village.” Nathaniel replied, gesturing to the small spout at their feet. “By clearing the area around Nu’alan, it’ll protect her from natural disasters and keep other foliage from consuming the nutrients from the soil.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is. It was a common practice in my world, and it helped prevent forest fires, land slides and helped maintain a healthy ecosystem.”

“I still don’t like it. The land around a dryad should be filled with foliage, not barren like this.”

“It won’t be barren for long.” Nathaniel’s words caught the elf’s attention. “The plan is to this land into a botanical garden.”

“Why?”

“It’ll be good for the village,” Nathaniel replied, “With a garden, we can grow all sorts of flora from the herbs needed for potions to flowers that are pleasing to look at. Besides, humans enjoy nature’s beauty too.” Eladregn huffed in doubt. “The point is to make Nu’alan a part of the village, just like Nyana was part of your grove.”

Eladregn’s glare softened, but his sneer remained. “Do you truly believe the humans will accept her?”

“They’ve accepted Ralia, Hope, and Bella, so I’m certain they’ll accept her. However, just to be safe, I’ll have my minions always watch over her.”

“I see.”

The two of them slowly walked down the road until they came to another section of the forest being cleared. Several plots were marked off for future buildings with the foundations for three already laid. Through the trees, they could make out a few of the houses from the main village with smoke rising into the air. Eladregn didn’t look happy at the changes to the forest, but this was the site the elves had chosen to live.

“We would also like a wall as well.” Eladregn gestured towards the village. “We don’t want the humans moving about as they please.”

“A wall is planned for the entire village, but I’m not segregating the elves off.” Nathaniel replied curtly.

“What do you mean?”

“The plan is for the two races to come together, but that can’t happen if you never interact with each other.”

Eladregn snarled at the houses beyond the trees. “Do you think the humans will accept us so easily?”

“Yes, I do.” Nathaniel chuckled causing Eladregn to scoff. “Look, if the humans of this world are anything like my own, then they’ll eventually come to accept you. It’ll take a few generations, but that won’t be long considering how short lived they are.”

“You’re saying it’ll only take time for them to stop attacking us?”

“The ones here at least. Besides from a few harsh words, have any of the humans here attacked you?”

Eladregn growled, turning away quickly. “No, they haven’t.”

“And how has Oden been treating you?”

“He’s been accommodating.” Eladregn looked sick from saying the words. “He’s given us our space and has done everything in his power to make us feel welcomed, and that includes his daughter as well.”

“I thought so. They both quickly accepted me and the girls when we first arrived.”

Eladregn nodded pensively. “Perhaps not all humans are terrible.” He said under his breath.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Slowly, they made their way back to the village. With winter in full swing, everyone mostly stayed inside. Only the children ran through the streets, playing in the snow. The younger adults wandered about in sheer boredom since they finished their chores earlier that morning. However, that meant they were the ones to interact with the elves.

“Say that again, fairy?” Barrett yelled at a group of dark elves. His face inches away from theirs. Behind the elves stood Bella, Ralia, and Sierra, and behind Barrett were several of the village boys.

“Begone human, lest I put you in your place.” The tall dark elf man stared down at the young man.

“It’s bad enough that Nathaniel’s had those three with him, but now he had to bring you all here too.”

“Stop it, Barrett!” Sierra snapped.

“You want me to stop?” Barrett’s hateful gaze landed on her. “You’re the one cozying up to fairies and monsters. Do you truly want to be with Nathaniel that badly that you’ll side with the enemy.”

Nathaniel sighed in frustration at the scene. He had hoped that bringing Barrett would have come to understand the elves’ plight, but he stubbornly kept hating anyone not human. It was about time he was put in his place.

“Leave human, now.” The tall dark elf sneered down at him.

Barrett snarl looked painful. “I won’t!” He pulled his fist back.

“Barrett!” Everyone jumped at Nathaniel’s shout. The tension seemed to break a little, but now Barrett turned his glare to Nathaniel. “I’ve already spoken with your father, and I’ve established the right to self-defense. If you throw that punch, then he’ll be allowed to defend himself.” A quiet overcame everyone, and all eyes fell onto Barrett.

“It’s not worth it.” The boys behind Barrett whispered. “Let’s go home and leave them alone.”

Barrett stared up at the dark elf. His fist shook as his gaze shifted between the elf, Sierra, and Nathaniel. With a pathetic roar, Barrett’s fist flew.

The dark elf slapped the attack away, and with an effortless grace, he drove his knee into Barrett’s stomach. The young human wheezed as he fell to his knees. Barrett’s ragged breathing blew snow and dirt away, and he struggled to get to his feet.

“I told you.” Nathaniel sighed, rubbing his face. “Ralia, take Barrett to the dungeon. Have Seneschal lock him in one of the rooms. Bella, please take the Sierra and your people to the tavern.” He turned his gaze to the young men. “Go home boys and let this be a lesson to you.” They nodded vigorously at him.

A solemn atmosphere hung over everyone as they went about their tasks. Nathaniel cracked his neck as he rubbed at his eyes, and a small ache formed in the center of his forehead. This was the last thing he needed to deal with.

“I’m surprised you did that.” Eladregn said with a strange tone in his voice. “I’d thought you’d imprison my people.”

“Barrett was the first to attack. He’s the criminal that needs to be punished.” Nathaniel replied curtly. “Now I have to inform his father.”

“What will his punishment be?”

“I’m not sure.” Nathaniel said, “I’ll need to go do this on my own.” Eladregn simply stared at him. With a nod, he started down the road alone.

Nathaniel stood there. The cold helped ease some of his discomfort. When he was finally ready, he started down the road, his feet feeling heavy with each step. He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering as he walked.

He had expected resistance to the elves moving into the village, but this was more than he could imagine. Maybe he had made a mistake bringing them here. When he freed them, he could have given them supplies and weapons to defend themselves, then they could have fled deeper into the forest. Would that really have worked though? As his thoughts swirled violently through his head, he knocked dejectedly on Barin’s door. A part of him was thankful that it was Barin’s wife who opened the door.

The headman’s wife was a homely woman of short stature with greying black hair pulled into a simple bun. Her plump face was marked with wrinkles around her eyes and mouth, all thanks to her perpetual warm, motherly smile. The same smile she was giving him now.

“Nath – I mean, my lord.” She took a breath to recenter herself. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Nathaniel laughed nervously at her formal greeting. “You can still call me Nathaniel, Eursa.” He was thankful when she gave him a motherly scowl.

“That won’t do at all,” Eursa replied, letting him in. “You are a noble now, which means we should treat you with a certain level of respect.” She offered him a seat and then rushed to the nearby stove. “You’re no longer a normal citizen anymore. You make laws now, and go to fancy balls, and rub elbows with the other members of high society.” She placed several plates filled with warm bread in front of him. “It would be best for you to marry soon. Can’t let that noble line end with you.” Her sweet laugh helped ease some of his tension.

“I get the feeling that’ll be happening soon.”

Eursa’s eyes sparkled as Nathaniel snacked. “Good, a man of your age should have been married years ago. Honestly, I was afraid that I’d need to give you a good scrubbing behind the ears. So, who’s the lucky lass, and is she human?” She sat down next to him. “No offense to Bella and Ralia, they’re good girls, I’ll give them that, but you need a proper human wife at your side.”

“Eursa, there’s another reason why I’m here.” Nathaniel took a deep breath. “It’s about Barrett.”

The gentle warmth in Eursa’s eyes quickly turned to fiery anger. “What has that fool boy done now!”

“He attacked one of the dark elves right in front of me.”

An awkward silence filled the room as the two of them stared at each other.

“Was it to defend himself?” Tears started forming in her eyes. “I know that Barin mentioned you allowing us the right to protect ourselves. Maybe he was doing that.”

“He was the one to throw the first punch.”

Eursa jumped out of her chair, forcing it to the floor. “That damned boy!” She paced furiously around the room. “Where is he? I’ll sort him out right quick.”

“I had Ralia take him to the dungeon. He’s currently being held there until I can think of an appropriate punishment.” Horror filled her eyes as she stared at him. “I’m sorry Eursa, but I need to put this to rest now. When I set laws, they need to be enforced, and Barrett broke one by attacking someone unprovoked.”

“Nathaniel, please. I know my boy can be stubborn and pigheaded, but it was merely a scuffle. There’s no need to go that far, is there?”

“I afraid there is.” Nathaniel hated seeing the woman in pain. “I can’t show leniency to anyone now that we have multiple races living together. If I do, then it will only breed more hatred between the two races.”

“I don’t want to lose my boy!” Eursa fell to her knees, bawling into her hands.

“Eursa, I’m not sending him off.” Nathaniel kneeled next to her placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I’ll have him assist with the expansion of the village.”

“Promise.”

“Yes.”

----------------------------------------

The tension weighed heavily on everyone’s shoulders as they headed back to the tavern. The dark elves led the way, but every so often they would look back at Bella and Sierra. Their sharp glares made Sierra uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry about Barrett.” Sierra said, trying to shake off her discomfort. “He shouldn’t have attacked you.”

“It’s what you humans are known for,” The tall dark elf replied, “Why would we expect anything different.” Sierra nodded, unable to say anything.

She was thankful when the tavern appeared, and they stepped into the warm interior. The main hall of the tavern was completely empty, which was strange as her father should be around.

“We’re back!” Sierra called out, setting her cloak onto the rack. Footstep came from the stairs, and her father entered the hall. He carried a tray with dirtied dishes.

“Welcome back, does anyone want any cider?” Oden smiled warmly at them.

“I’d love some, master Oden.” Bella bowed gently.

“I’d like some too!” Sierra chuckled, rubbing her hands together.

The dark elves simply glared at him. “What were you doing up there?”

“Your friend requested food while you were all out.” Oden replied with a slight frown. “I merely took her a bowl of soup and some water.”

“You went up there!” Sierra flinched at the stern bark from the tall dark elf.

“She requested food. I wasn’t going to let her go hungry, especially in her condition.” Oden said with a calm smile. His smile vanished when the tall dark elf struck him in the face.

“How dare you go near my sister human!” The dark elf snarled, his fists smacking Oden a few more times.

“Unaellion, stop this now!” the tall dark elf’s hateful glare turned to Bella. “Release him!”

Unaellion growled but released his hold on Oden. The tavernkeeper fell to the floor, groaning as he wiped the blood from his face. A pained smile came to his lips as Sierra fussed over him.

Bella stared up into Unaellion’s eyes. “How dare you treat him like that.” Her own snarl matched his. “Oden took you in, feed you, and helped clothe you, and this is the way you treat him.” A sharp hiss escaped her lips. “I didn’t realize my own people were ungrateful barbarians.”

“How can you say such things after what we went through?” Unaellion snapped, pointing at Oden and Sierra. “Do you truly expect us to forgive them that easily?”

“They are not the ones who attacked you!” Bella replied, her sharp tone lessened. “They are the ones who provided for you. Do not let your hatred blind you to their kindness.”

“Why should I listen to a human’s pet?”

Bella’s eyes widened, and her lower lip slightly trembled. “If that’s how you see me.” She took a deep breath and pulled an object from her cloak. She pressed a strange metal rectangle into Unaellion’s face. “I’m taking you to master Nathaniel. You’ll be punished for your crimes.”

Unaellion stared at the strange object in her hands with a smirk. “How are you going to do that?” Bella returned his smile and pointed the object at his feet. Unaellion screamed in pain as two beams of light struck his feet.

“It’ll be easier if you can’t run away.” Bella’s smile faded away as she looked to the other elves. “You three are to help me bring him to the dungeon, understand?” The elves nodded vigorously as they stared at the object in her hands. “Good.” She turned to Oden and Sierra. “I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive him.”

“It’s fine Bella.” Oden said, standing up. “I understand why he did it.” He held his daughter close.

“I hope you two have a good day, and please see to those wounds.” Bella bowed deeply and gestured for the elves to follow her. A tear leaked from her eye as Unaellion cursed her.