Part 1 - GemChapter 1 - My Identity
I peeked out the window as dusk approached after a fresh spring day, in the small town of Adurna where I live. From where I looked out onto the street, I could see families moving indoors for the warm spring night about to follow. The last thing I saw before going to sit on my bed was a group of human children moving indoors. I knew that any animals that were not nocturnal would be heading back to their dens, nests and caves to their young.
At Hariv Orphanage, which happens to be my home, my room is small and uncomfortable.. In one corner there is a cracked mirror, which I often look at when I am alone. The bed I have is really uncomfortable and hard and though I hate being among all these humans, I have learnt to get along with them all. Pausing on the way to the bed, I looked in the mirror at myself. The beautiful elf that looked back at me had sand white blond hair, of which several strands fell across her wise blue eyes. These I knew were the same colour as a cloudless blue sky.
Frequently I long to be away from the humans that surround me. I do not belong here.
My name is Gem Hawksong, and whenever I am alone, that is, when the humans are not interacting with me, I always let my ears poke through my hair. If I have to interact with humans, my ears are always hidden, though I long to not have to do that. If a human saw me as an elf, it would not be long before I found myself in the torturous grasp of the human king. That would mean a painful death on my part as he simply loathes elves.
While I sat there, thinking about my life in this grim place so far, I heard someone knock softly on the door. I hastily covered my ears as the door opened a little. The brown haired orphanage mistress, Mrs. Glassby stuck her head in. I looked up and saw that her olive eyes were filled with fear, unusual for her.
"There's someone here to see you," she said. I watched her, unblinking, just watching. I must have annoyed her because she withdrew a few seconds later.
Then I watched as another woman entered my line of vision, on almost silent feet. I raised my eyes to take in her appearance. She had shiny shoulder length chocolate brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. The womans lips were flawless and her brown eyebrows were finely slanted, as was her chin.
'She's extremely slim for someone in her early thirties,' was my first thought. Then my eyes fell on the powerful longbow she held and the quiver of arrows slung across her back filled with black swan feather fletched arrows. 'Hmm, she must be strong then,' I noted.
Gathering up my courage, I asked, "Who are you?"
She did not reply at first, but chuckled. I watched as she lowered her bow and quiver to the ground. She also unbuckled a fine sword in its sheath from her waist. This too she placed with the bow and quiver.
Then she turned to face me and in a voice I remembered she said, "My name, Gem Hawksong is Nuala Evandari."
I sat there, momentarily stunned. Another elf was here! And I knew her quite well now that I thought about it. Pleasure coursed through me as I said, "You've come for me have you?"
"I certainly have," was her kind answer.
Then I remembered the reason why I was here in the first place. My mother Queen Laura Berilan and my father King Zelphar Nightstar had sent me here to keep me safe from the war between the elves and the insubordinate humans.
However I decided at present it was not the right time to talk of that. I waited patiently for her to speak.
"There is another reason I came," Nuala said.
'Another reason? What?' I thought in confusion. Hiding it though, I asked, "What would that be?" I kept my voice polite and my eyes showed I was eager for an explanation.
Nuala's lips were a blur as she spoke rapidly in another tongue; I did not know the words. All I remember is that it was magic, for a soft green bag appeared beside me on the bed. I looked at it and then back to Nuala quietly.
"Will you please touch what's inside it?" Though she tried to hide the doubt in her eyes, I could see it.
Tentatively I reached into the bag and touched a smooth, orb-like object, gasping as icy energy surged up my hand and into my mind. Then there was a loud reverberating sound and I whipped my hand from it. My eyes widened with curiosity all the while.
The bag vanished to reveal a large orange-veined, white, pearl-like stone. I guessed Nuala had made the bag vanish. Stupidly I closed my mouth for it had dropped open in astonishment. Then I saw the stone shake wildly and I watched, apprehensive. 'What was this thing?' I wondered, confused.
I watched as, piece by piece, the stone fell apart. Then a funnily shaped triangular white head spun to face me, reaching out of a hole it had made. Two beautiful bright carnelian orange eyes looked into mine inquisitively.
I recognised the shape of its head and knew without a doubt what this newborn creature was. Not wanting to startle it I said quietly, "Uruloki." This meant 'dragon,' and I knew that was what it was.
Once it was completely out I looked at it. Its scales were pure white, and two diminutive orange fangs protruded from its mouth. The hatchling's wings, in my opinion were out of proportion to its body and the fine membranes on them were orange. Small orange spikes ran from the back of its head to the tip of its tail, though where the neck and back met there was a gap. Two beautiful carnelian horns rested above its extremely delicate ears. The beautiful white feet had an orange talon on each of the three toes per foot.
I watched as it struggled to its feet for the first time and smiled. Out of all the dragons I'd seen in my life, this was the most beautiful, the one who had chosen me.
"I think we should leave this place before anyone else hassles me. I don't want this one to be seen," I said pointedly to Nuala who nodded.
"I have a room at an inn we may go to," Nuala said.
"But how to get this one there unseen?" I pondered, indicating the dragon.
"Under my robes we can, it's easy enough," Nuala replied swiftly.
I watched eagerly as the dragon was hidden by Nuala carefully. As I watched a memory of days long past came to me in my mind.
I had been talking to my mother and I knew within my mind that the only difference in our appearances was our eyes. Mine were sky blue; her's were shiny metallic silver.
Then there was a loud thudding rythmic noise and I saw a beautiful dragoness soaring down towards us. Her gleaming scales were yellow, but her talons, claws, wing membranes, fangs and spikes were rose pink.
"La stella lusin ni fin gia du lye engame, Bizandra Rosewing," I said courteously. A star shall shine upon the hour of our meeting, Bizandra Rosewing.
She snorted and dipped her head to me. 'Umanu Gem,'she said. Princess Gem.
Since she spoke directly into my mind I spoke back the same way, 'Mani na taa?' What is it? I had asked her.
'Would you like to come for a fly with me?' Bizandra then asked
I was astonished by her question. My mind raced to form a coherent answer for the patiently waiting dragon. I knew how old the great dragoness was and I certainly did not want to insult her with my response.
I listened as my mother said in a calm voice, "Feel free to go with her Gem. You'll be perfectly safe with her."
I then had my answer. Speaking politely, I said, "I would be honoured to fly with you, mighty Bizandra."The memory was gone as soon as it had come. It left me slightly disorientated, for we were now outside and it was darkening quite quickly.
"What is it Gem? What did you just see? I know it was a memory but who was it of?" Nuala asked quietly.
"I saw my mother and her dragon," I replied softly. It made me remember how much I missed home.
Nuala simply smiled at me and said, "Let us move on now, Princess." I smiled as the familiar authoritive voice spoke again.
As curious as my mind was, I followed Nuala into a building and up some stairs into a small but uncrowded room. Wanting to familiarise myself with my surroundings, I looked around curiously. Nuala's last words to me for the night were, "Tomorrow I'll tell you more about our people."
Comments .com linkComments .niceboard.org link 
