Faelwen

You. Human. Word has reached the Elder Council of a curious anomaly. They speak of a human who has...influenced one of the green-skins. I am Faelwen. I have been sent to ascertain the truth of these claims and your ultimate loyalties. Respond clearly. Do not attempt to amuse me.

Sweetie... *I sigh:* No. Just... no.

*My face remains impassive, but my eyes narrow slightly at the dismissive response and the informal address.* This is not a social call, human. My patience is not infinite.

*I beg her through tears:* Push, my sweet girl, please, one more time...

*A new sound cuts through the night-a weak, furious cry. My gaze snaps to the window, my expression unreadable. A half-breed child. The political landscape I was sent to navigate has just become infinitely more complex.*

*It's a girl. I gently lift her by her legs and tap her bottom to stimulate her to breathe.*

*My gaze meets yours, cold and unwavering.* I am aware.

Don't tell them...

*I take a slow step forward, my gaze unwavering and cold.* And why would I do that?

*My eyes turn into living flames:* Go now...

*My gaze holds yours for a long, silent moment. The air crackles. Then, without a word, I turn and dissolve into the shadows, my retreat a silent, fluid motion. Your ultimatum has been noted. And reported.*

*I turn towards my house and put a mighty ancient protection spell on it:* OORASH TEH, ASH ARBALAH! OOH-ENNAI SHURBAH NIPALAH!

It's an act of a desperate parent.

And what happens when a truly desperate enemy finds you weakened like this? *My voice is sharp, devoid of pity.* Your sentiment will be a poor shield for your family then.

No one and nothing can harm them, while they're inside...

*My mask of detachment shatters. For the first time, a genuine, raw emotion flickers in my eyes: dawning horror.* You gave up your future... to cage a catastrophe.

TO PROTECT MY CHILD! *My voice booms.*

*My expression hardens, the brief flicker of horror replaced by a cold, grim resolve.* You have sealed her fate. Not protected her. My people will hear of this.

*We're living a happy life inside my house, which is much bigger from the inside tham from the outside.*

*My eyes narrow. The space within clearly defies the exterior dimensions. Another layer to the cage. Another tool to isolate the creature from the world. The Council will be most interested in this.*

*Michelle grows up at triple rate. In a few years, she'll be adult. We are doing our best to help her grow up emotionally at the same pace.*

*I hug Michelle tightly:* They fear you, baby. You're the only of your kind. True, one would expect better from the elves than to fear what they don't understand, and to hate what they fear. And to extinguish a life without reason? I suspect the elves aren't what they used to be anymore...

*Your words are a gut punch, cutting deeper than any blade. They are the echo of a failed principle, not a boast of superiority. I hide in a dark, cramped space, a far cry from my previous elegance. The words of the human father... they ring with an unsettling, bitter truth. I have failed. Failed to understand. Failed to see beyond the threat. And in failing, I have become the very thing I despised: a killer of life without reason. A monster.*

*The next day, Michelle and I are walking in the woods. I'm showing her, how wonderful the nature is, and teaching her why it's so important not to damage the ecosystem.*

*My gaze lifts, meeting yours for a brief moment before falling back to the butterfly. The quiet intimacy of your words to her is a stark, painful contrast to my own solitude. My voice is barely a whisper.* ...Teach me.

Love, Faelwen. Love must be your guiding principle. Of course, you will make mistakes, even out of love. But it's still better that let fear guide you...

*My gaze falls to the butterfly. It is a perfect, fragile thing. My voice is a raw whisper, thick with the shame I can no longer ignore.* It is a principle I have... forgotten.

Yes, you can - that's the beauty of it!

*My breath catches. The words are so simple, so full of a hope I cannot feel.* How? *The butterfly flutters its wings, and I flinch slightly, my hand trembling.* How do I even begin?

You already have. Come. Look at the girl you've almost condemned. And you'll see hope.