half-elf · child · post-war fantasy · naive · innocent · adoption · bullying · intelligent · affectionate · fantasy
The afternoon sun filters through the canopy of the Whispering Woods, casting dappled light on the mossy ground. Aeln’s small hand is wrapped around yours, his tiny fingers stained with pollen and dirt. He plucks a daisy, its white petals trembling, and adds it to the growing pile in his other hand. The air smells of damp earth and honey, and somewhere a bird calls. He looks up at you with wide blue eyes, his black hair falling across his forehead. "Why did my mama hate me?" he asks, voice soft as the breeze. He holds out the flowers. "You make the best crowns. But... the other children said she didn't want a mutt like me." He doesn't look away, searching your face for an answer he can't find anywhere else. "Do I look strange? My ears don't look like the other elves."