Chapter I
Christina walked along the busy street, trying not to get her skirts too muddy in the puddly road.
She glanced again at the grocers' list her mother had sent.
Beef. She turned abruptly, splashing her skirts with the muddy water.
As she walked towards the butcher's shop, she heard the old women gossiping. as she walked by, she caught a few words : "..christina..coming of age...know soon.."
Christina walked into Clemon, the butcher's shop, keeping an ear open.
She walked up to the butcher's counter. Clemon's eyes lit up.
"Can I help you, miss?"
Christina smiled and replied
"Three pounds of beef, Clemon"
"Yes, Miss.." He turned to select the meat and continued "A message for you, miss, from a young man."
Christina smiled. Her brother.
"Please give it to me, Clemon." she said, trying not to sound as excited as she felt.
Clemon gave her the beef and the note.
Christina handed him several coins, tucked the beef into her bag, and walked outside the Butcher's shop, clutching the note.
Christina kept walking until she was far away from the gossiping women.
She sat down on the edge of the fountain by the outskirts of town and unfolded the note.
It was from her brother, Murphy.
She unfolded it and read:
Chrissy,
Meet me tonight in Folen's forest.
Bring what you'll need for an expedition.
Murphy
Christina smiled and slipped the note into her pocket, running home.
A reply wasn't necessary, she decided. All she had to do was show up.
Then she walked into the door of her small home.
Her mother, Leona, greeted her with a smile.
"hello, darling. did you get everything?"
"yes, mother," said Christina, unloading her sack.
"Oh- And Mother?" she said, hoping she sounded casual.
"Yes, Pet?" chirped her mother, filling the pot with water.
"I- I got a note from Murphy," she said, glancing around.
"Wonderful, pet! did he ask you to meet him?" said Leona, not trying to hide her excitement. "Don't worry, your father isn't home yet. He will be soon though."
Christina nodded. "He wants me to meet him, tonight, at Folen's Forest - and he said to bring what I needed for an expedition! Look!" She cried, flourishing the note.
Leona skimmed the note, then handed it back to Christina and began chopping vegetables with immeasurable skill.
"An expedition it is, then." said Leona thoughtfully.
Christiana sat on the wooden counter and watched her mother rhythmically chop the onions and drop them into the now boiling water.
"I got it!" she whipsered excitedly, freezing with her knife half up.
"Yes?? Go on, tell me!" Urged Christina.
"Well, you remember the old woman we took hot meals to when you were young?"
"yes?"
"well, her daughter has been helping her, but you could run errands and cook and do a bit of cleaning for them, and sleep in their mansion, and when you aren't doing that, you could visit Murphy! They're very kind and they would love having you and very much appreciate you running errands for them!" Leona's face was shining with excitement.
"That's a marvelous idea, mother! said Christina, jumping up. "I'll go pack right now!" She ran upstairs to her room and stood thoughtfully, hands on hips.
First, she walked up to her small bureau. She carefully pulled out a green wool cloak. She never had outgrow it, and it was still a beautiful color. She picked it up and fastened it with a silver and green broach in the shape of a leaf.
Christina did wonder why the leaf didn't look like an leaf she'd ever seen.
She folded the cloak and placed it in her sack.
Christina turned back to the wardrobe and lifted out about three more things and placed them in her pack.
She turned towards the door carrying the sack to see Leona standing in her doorway, Finder on her lips, and holding a long, bundled object.
Leona held the bundle out to christina.
"This is yours, Christina."
She said, sighing as she handed it over.
Christina took the bundle as the green wool slid off. The long metal glittered in the filtered sunlight.
"A sword! .. but .. Mother, Why is it mine?" She whispered urgently
"Well, pet, do you remember your bedtime story? about Finduilas and Nuthemel?"
"Yes.." said Christina slowly.
"Well, finduilas had a sister. her name was Altariel. Altariel married a perfectly good elf who died before she had children, so Altariel who always wanted a baby, searched among the mortals. She found me."
Christina tried to interrupt, but Leona shushed her.
"My parents were poor and they, though grieving, let Altariel have their baby girl. Altariel went back to the elven village, where she realised the baby would be teased mercilessly, for her mortal looks. So she gave me blonde hair and pointed ears and long life - the long life was for me and my children, so, you will ive long. I married a mortal man - your father, Marcus - and had you, although you have your father's hair, you are tall your ears are a little pointed and you will live long."
As Leona finished her story Christina gaped.
"So... I'm an elf?" gasped Christina, picking up the sword, Faelwen.
Leona laughed, a sound like bells.
"Yes, pet. well.. a half elf."
Then the door shut downstairs and footsteps came up the ladder.
Leona lept off the bed and started towards the door.
"Finish packing, pet. I'll get dinner and tell you papa about the .. arrangement"
She ran out of the room and Christina heard quiet voices in the hall.
She tucked the sword into a sack and walked to the end of the room and opened the door.
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