Beyond Barriers

I was meditating in my favorite spot on the forest when he showed up. See, I was in need of fresh air and some quietude, away from all the looks of expectation of my people. As an elf, and the daughter of the captain of our army (and therefor, a part of the elite), somethings were expected from me. Don't get me wrong, I like helping the common and being generous. I like the nickname of "Little Bird", and being see in the city as some sort of young, rich philanthropist. But, once everyone see you like a living Virgin Mary, they start to believe there's no problem in asking your help for all king of things. My help for all king of things. And sometimes gets tiring. Tiring of being demanded to solve all kind of problems - some of them really out of my league - and to see the deception in the eyes of those I can't help. Not that I'm ever going to say that out loud, and risk sounding ungrateful or a spoiled brat. I just need some rest in time to time and I'll be ready to go back being the loving, helping, sweet Kyara. So, I was sitting under a shadow of the cave entrance, hearing the water running on the nearby stream, the leaves moving because of the steady breeze and birds singing on the branches of trees. Meditating, to elves, was the process of expand our consciousness and mixing it with the conscious of all living things around, the grass, the trees, the animals... That's why the fact that I didn't feel the human boy approaching me was so disturbing. I should have felt him at least one hundred meters, but now he was already kneeling near the water the runs from inside the cave I was, and only then I realized he was there - because he sighed. A loud and frustrated sigh. When I opened my eyes, startled, my hole body froze. I human. A male, grown human, in the elf grounds. Drinking our water, with a cupped hand, like he was in his absolute right. Even though it was the end of an warm afternoon, I felt myself getting cold when he reached for a small bag pending from his belt. Afraid to even breath, I watched as he opened the leather bag and poured it's content in his right hand. First I thought he was walking around with a bag full of common stones. But then, the stones shone in a deep marine blue, and a surprised, straggled breath came out of my mouth. Ninto stones. The stones that appeared on the elven cemetery, or wherever an Elf has been buried. Ninto stones are common stones that got impregnated with and decomposing elf's magic, normal ground stones that start show some blue gleaming veins on the their surface. The stories that I heard my hole life, about how humans liked to steal elven magic for their temporary use popped into my mind in a flash. Those stories existed since the world was world, since elves and humans lived apart, since werewolfs became nomads and the vampires were extinct. But no one but the older elves actually believed in those stories anymore. We had a deal with humans, with the human leader, and the distant coexistence between the two species was peaceful for years, more years than I was alive. For gods sake, more years than my father was alive. Hearing my surprised noise, the boy jumped, and some of the stones fell from his hand when he looked around, not taking more than on second to localize me, still sited with my back against the hot rock of the cave's entrance, my eyes glued on him and my mouth hanging open. Before that young man, I've never seen one human. Not the real thing anyways. Only in history books, and those where always drawn to make us scared. To make us stay away: ugly creatures with mean and small eyes, sharp smiles and brilliant and dangerous minds. But this guy? I only knew he was human because he obviously wasn't an elf, neither an werewolf, nor a vampire. He didn't had our pale skin, big eyes or pointy ears. He didn't smell like most werewolfs, with oak and wet grass scent, neither had the yellow eyes. And there was no sign of burning skin while he stand in the sun, so vampire was not an option either. Instead of all those, the young man had light brown skin, a tone that reminded me of chocolate, eyes a mixture of green and brown and dark short hair, so short that remembered me of freshly mowed grass. All that and the strong jawline, the skinny body made him look strong and handsome but inoffensive. Almost kind. When our eyes met, he muttered something that to me sounded like bad language. I felt my eyes grew even wilder when I heard his voice, a deep and low voice, which brought me back to reality and to the danger I was facing. Moving my legs, intending to get on my feet and maybe get ready to run, was a bad, bad idea. Maybe if I had just stand still, he would have left. Maybe if I had thrown my hand in the air, the universal sing of "wish you no harm", he would had left, running back to human grounds. But then, I tried to get up, still staring him, and he was a human crossing boundaries of an ancient deal between species, after all. So, I don't think I can blame him for what he did next. In an amazingly fast impulse, he ran to me before I could even form another coherent thought, and in the next second he jumped and both of us were on the ground. Me, sprawled, shocked. He, on top of me, with a big hand covering my mouth, and what I thought before was a kind face, was now changed into a threatening expression. "Silence. Don't even thinking about screaming, or I will kill you." he whispered in that deep voice. I guess that was the moment when the panic really started to kick in my system. And so, my thoughts started to race as fast as my heart, my brain finally getting out of the stupor caused by the surprise and working on my behalf. What I did next may seem very stupid or very naive, but before any judgement can be done, there's something I need to make clear about me and elves in general: we are not fighters. That's why our deal with the human leader was so important for us, while humans can easily become warriors and killers, our strong bond with nature and living things makes hard for us to kill, damn it, even to hurt a creature! Of course there were warriors and soldiers among us, once the need of survival exists in all beings, but violence was always and automatically the last resource. What can I say? It was our nature. So, while we were staring are each other, I tried to say against his hand that I wasn't going to scream or hurt him, but even to me sounded like "hm-mmn-mnn". "Shut up!" was his only response, shaking his hand against my mouth harshly, what only made the back of my head hit against the ground. I whimpered in pain, feeling my mind blur again, the panic rising. Is he going to kill me? I done nothing! The fact that he was jumping straight to violence and threats was outrageous to me. I felt my eyes watering, in panic and pain, while I stared at him, my eyes like big and green chestnuts on my face, while he looked around, trying to think of something. Something to do with me, I guess. I tried again: "hmn-humn-mn!", my body trying to move under his. I promise I won't tell anyone! I was trying to say. And I really wouldn't. Just wanted to get back home, to my people, safe and sound. He looked at me, frowning. After staring me for a second, he got on his knees, taking me with him in a fluid movement, putting me on my knees so fast I barely kept up with the movement, his right hand still covering my mouth. And then, something small and pointy flashed from his belt to my throat, a little cold against my skin. A knife, a dagger? I didn't knew exactly, but whatever it was, was made to cut. To cut flesh. My flesh. "Try to run or scream and I will make a hole in you with that", pressing the pointy thing harder on the world that. "Am I clear?" There were no further options for me: I slowly agreed with my head, now the tears running down my cheeks. Then, moving like he was used to capture elves everyday (the thought of that making me shiver), the belt went to his hips to my wrists in no time - so tight I was sure it would interrupt my blood circulation - his body closer to mine while he tied me. It was already getting dark, the sky in tons of pink and orange. He pushed me towards the end of the little glade, towards where the forest closes again, the branches and leafs touching each other, and the sky was barely visible. Away from the river, the cave, my family and safety. Oh, well. I guess I could consider myself dead already.