His Father’s Reflection

Her steps were light and careful, bringing her through the workshop. Not much light filled the main floor, but enough for her to make out the form of someone kneeling in the storeroom, putting away tools. It wasn’t Ethan, but an older man with filthy clothes from the day’s work.

Vael approached without being noticed. She heard the man muttering to himself, preoccupied with organization.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Her voice started the carpenter. He shot up to turn around, banging his head under the shelf. Sawdust and one of the mallets went airborne, floating and dropping to the ground around him. He gave out a coughing fit as the byproduct of his craft got sucked into his mouth. Recovering him, his heart nearly jumped out of him once he took in Vael’s imposing physique.

“Holy hells!” The woodworking man jumped back, nearly hitting the shelf with his back. “W-what do you want, Dark Elf? Shop’s closed!”

“I’ve noticed.”

Vael scanned the workshop. She eyed the lengthy stacks of limber, ready for the next day. His workbench was cleared, but carrying signs of constant scarring and wear over the years. A nearby table saw, a clamping tool, and a few other stations required for the profession to be utilized to its full effect were all accounted for. Vael knelt, picked up the fallen mallet, and handed it over.

“I’m looking for Ethan.” She stated flatly, her emerald eyes baring down on the shorter man.

“Bah!” The man spat, waving his hand once in dismissal before snatching the bludgeoning tool. “I sent him home early. Damn kid’s mind in the clouds and I got tired of correcting him.”

Vael tilted her head, a slight expression of concern. “What do you mean?”

The carpenter stepped past the Dark Elf, continuing his cleanup. He took a broom and began to sweep.

“He’s been distracted and ‘preoccupied’ ever since you showed up.” The man glanced her way, a twist of contempt in the curve of his lips.

“Me?”

“He started messing with that damn bow his father gave him. Talk of training, how you slew a wolf in the dark or something.” The man shrugged. “Then you made him your ‘apprentice’, and his head is full of hope of becoming an adventurer. Damn right, daring to be his father’s reflection, he is.”

Vael noticed his grip tightening around the broom. She noted his frustration.

“A stupid, foolish thought.” The carpenter scoffed. “I had hoped he’d do better.”

“Isn’t surpassing your father a goal for many?” Her arms folded, questioning the frustration, yet opening the context of the issue.

“Surpassing being a thieving bastard with debt?” He laughed dryly and emptily while setting the broom to the side against a table. “His father, my old friend, roamed the lands further south. Leaving for a while, he’d come back with stories and tales. Young Ethan would be ecstatic. He looked up to the man as any young boy should.”

Vael listened intently, her ears perking up with focus.

“One day a group of adventurers arrived, looking for him.” The carpenter paused, his eyes staring off into nothing. “We figured them to be his old crew, but they wanted his head. Turns out the old friend I knew, the boy’s father, sold them out. Many of them. Used Ralefort as a hiding spot.”

Vael felt her mouth open slightly, taken aback by this revelation. “What happened to the man?”

“Ran off to who knows where. Here’s hoping the bastard fell into a pit.” He shook his head, a cloud of sorrow hanging over him. “Ethan stayed here with me and my wife. Despite everything, he wanted to become a freelancer. He still looked up to his father. Then started seeing things, crafted and took up the bow like his mother—who I doubt even died anymore; just another lie. The boy is just slowly becoming his father.” He then eyed Vael with contempt. “And then you show up—a Dark Elf.”

“I wouldn’t have thought…”

Vael shook her head. She had a wonder at Ethan’s determination, his drive to become better. For him to risk danger, to approach her of all people, to reach his goals. She didn’t know the boy and didn’t regard him as anything more than some short-term happenstance. Even now, she possibly didn’t grasp everything.

“It is not my intention to lead him down a path of ruin.” She started, her voice genuine and firm. “He’s a hardworking young man, and frankly, like myself, I think he wants to do good despite the heavy hand we're given.”

Vael moved to pick up the broom the carpenter had put down. She removed and folded her cloak before beginning to sweep around the workshop.

“He’s foolish, lacking necessary skill, but he wanted to protect the town with all he had.” She paused. “I doubt he’d want to be what his father had become.”

The carpenter considered this and watched the Elf continue cleaning. She moved methodically around the workshop as the Human man went to organize his tools and clean the storage. Nothing else was said between the two while the night fully fell. The carpenter closed up his shop with Vael standing nearby. They looked at each other for a moment before the man nodded.

“Thank you.” He finally spoke.

“The least I could do for being a distraction.”

The man wanted to chuckle. He barely did, but nodded again before taking his leave. Vael watched him leave shortly before Ethan arrived.

“Vael, what are you doing here?” Ethan glanced past her, the workshop closed and no one else around. “I guess Byron left.”

“Hm, Byron.” Vael never got his name until now. “I was just wandering around town. Going to patrol the outskirts. Would you like to join me?”

She didn’t plan on inviting him, but Vael wanted him nearby all of a sudden. Either way, she took the opportunity to study him, not as a green marksman, but to know him.

“Really?” Ethan asked, wanting to be certain, and Vael nodded in confirmation. “I don’t have my bow.”

“No need. Just walk with me.”

Vael led the way with Ethan following a few steps behind. They made their way out of town and took to scouting along the border. Moving away from the forest, Vael slowed herself to walk beside Ethan, catching him glancing at her repeatedly.

She continued to check her surroundings for watchful eyes. Her ears twitched about, checking for unfamiliar sounds. Vael still felt her guest’s eyes louder than his silence. She wasn’t sure if he had actually taken the time to observe her himself without focusing on a training dummy; she didn’t deny him the opportunity.

On her part, Vael couldn’t bring herself to speak on his past. She was unable to go into detail on her own, so Ethan might have brought up an event that may have traumatized him to some degree. There wasn’t anything for her to grasp, nothing to speak of. Figured that after nine years of near isolation, Vael never connected with anyone personally, other than for business. Not a long time for Elves, but enough to dissolve common social traits that once came naturally to her.

Their silence continued, becoming a fixed air around them to the point that the two wandered into their own minds. A deep thought took hold of Vael, wandering about how to address him during their sessions, let alone how to inform him of Vanessa's offer.

Ethan constantly took peeks at Vael’s arms, managing to see her muscles beneath her cloak. He thought back to that bestial roar, her wild movements. It had been on his mind for a while, leaving him curious as to her experiences after her supposed exile. Witnessing such a thing was so new and exciting that he thought about her frequently. He found himself intrigued by her.

Vael made her way to the Inn. Stepping inside, Ethan stopped, realizing he had followed too far.

“Oh, I should go.” He shuffled, feeling embarrassed to have followed Vael all the way to her dwelling. “I probably need to get some sleep for tomorrow.”

Vael turned and shook her head. “Come in.” She gestured to him.

“Why?” Ethan was unsure of what the invitation was for, assuming he’d be unwelcome after barging in uninvited previously.

“Ethan. You want to be my apprentice?” She asked in all seriousness. “More than just basic lessons.”

Her eyes stared into his, catching the wheels turning, sparking that fire of determination in his eyes. Ethan stood firm, body tensing, chest puffed as he took a breath to carry his weighted confirmation.

“I want to be your apprentice!” His declaration came loud and clear, firm and sure.

Vael took in the emphasis of his statement. She exhaled after holding her own breath in anticipation, remembering Byron’s words, his concerns. Somewhere, she wanted Ethan to accept. Vael knew she pushed him away time and time again. But each time, she took notice of his willingness to go into danger, to use whatever he had to defend a home that she now realized had both protected him and ostracized him for his father’s sins and his unseen gift.

“Then stay with me for the night.”

Vael gestured inside, offering her space to Ethan as he followed, confused and taken aback by the words. Entering her room, Vael discarded her cloak, leaving her shoulders bare and markings free to be seen. Turning to face her, she appeared to present herself open while taking a breath for preparation. Ethan felt a tinge of anticipation now that he was not only invited into her space, but also unsure of what would happen next; if a special initiation would be enacted.

With her hand out and palm open flat, Vael shook her head side to side. Her lustrous mane flowed with her movements, shifting to and fro.

“Fia lak shi.”

The words were not Common, but something old and exotic. Ethan also heard her voice, no longer cold or lifeless. Vael spoke with an endearing tone, soft and warm. Her hair, having gone still, suddenly shifted from the side, almost on its own as a wisp of wind swirled around her, almost playfully.

Ethan nearly checked the window’s latch before he saw them. A tiny familiar figure, whose wings fluttered with the glassy reflection of crystal green wings, looped in front of the Human’s face. Ethan flinched upon catching the glimpse of a face—bright and young with eyes of silver. His eyes tracked the being, unable to look away as it landed effortlessly on the center of Vael’s palm. The winged person gave a practiced bow, as Vael’s face grew confident and proud, something Ethan found alien in the woman’s features.

“Ethan, meet Sivi, my Fae.”