To Earn a Name

Family

The next day Shuna, Shukopek and Kimo returned from having spent the winter at their hive a short distance away, as soon as Kimo had changed into elf-shape Newstar went over to him and whispered something.

“Is it true?” He asked delighted, looking at Laela. “You’re my sister now?”

“I guess so.”

“It’s wonderful.” He said, rushing over to give Laela a firm hug. “I’ve always dreamt of having a little sister, but as you perhaps know us elves can’t have children that easily. And then my father…” his voice faltered, the loss clearly still strong in his heart.

“Your father must have been very kind.” Laela said softly.

“He was.” Newstar said a gleam of longing in her eyes.

“Somewhat crazy too.” Ohler added. “Always getting into trouble when he was a boy. And who was charged with getting him out of trouble?”

“You? Why?”

“He was my brother. My brave little brother.”

“I wish I could’ve known him.” Laela said. “And Ikopek too.” She added, turning to the two other humans. “And thank you, all of you, for teaching me that fathers are good and kind, and family much more than blood.”

That spring Laela was like a newborn, taking in all the delights of the woods about her, most of the time she spent with her elf-father in his, or – as he insisted on calling it – their garden, tending the plants. One day as they were working the Preservers came flying into the Holt, acting as erratic as only the little winged creatures could act.

“Little Boy Big-Thing go shout-much. Shout-much!” The one named Petalwing screeched. “Make big noise.”

“A young human boy?” Laela asked. She still didn’t quite have the hang of the Preservers’ weird speech habits, but she had figured that ‘Big-Things’ where humans.

“That must be it.” Kimo said. “Should we look into it?”

“Why not?”

Quickly following the Preservers the siblings, the elf-boy and the human-girl, raced to the edge of the woods where there was indeed a human-boy, he was peering into the trees, though not quite entering, all the time shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Sister!” he shouted. “Sister please come home. Please! I’ll make father treat you properly from now on. I will, I promise!”

“Who is he?” Kimo whispered.

“My brother. My half-brother.”

“But the age difference between you doesn’t seem that great, and if you remember your human-mother’s name for you…”

“You know of old Spider, don’t you? Do you really think he would stay faithful to a dead wife?”

Without words, Kimo simply shook his head, his eyes dark.

“She was hardly cold in the grave before he remarried; the boy over there is the oldest of his and his new wife’s children. I’ve never had any strife with the children, not for lack of trying from their mother’s part.”

“What shall we do? He seems pretty determined to keep this up.”

“I’ll just have to tell him to go home.”

Ignoring Kimo’s protests Laela stepped out from the cover of the trees and towards the boy who was still shouting, his voice getting more and more hoarse.

“Hello, little brother.” She said softly, smiling to the boy.

“Sister!” He yelled when he saw her, rushing over and threw his arms around her with such a force she almost fell over. “Are you going to come home now? I’ll tell father to treat you properly from now on. And my mother too, I promise!”

“I’m sorry, little brother. I know you mean well, but you cannot change the way your parents treat me, and I can never return. My life is out here now, and I am happy.”

“But, the spirits.”

“Are good and kind. They took me in. They don’t want people to fear them, or worship them. All they want is to have their place in this world, to live in peace. Now, go home little brother, and when the time is right tell everyone who’ll listen what I just told you.”

“I will, sister. And I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too. Every time you feel lonely or sad, look at the moons and remember that there are forces of good at work in this world.”

Nodding the boy turned and began walking back towards the village of the Hill-Hopper clan, once she couldn’t see him anymore Laela too turned, from one brother to another.

“You think he’ll do as you told him?” Kimo asked as they walked back towards the Holt.

“I hope so.”

“One more thing; you never refer to Spider as your father anymore.”

“Why should I? This winter, while I was staying down in the Troll caverns, Windkin told me that fathers are those who support their children. Ohler has been more a father to me than old Spider ever has.”


This is the end of the story. However, I might post one-shots about Laela's life with the Wolfriders, and her new family.

Still loving every bit of this awesome story.

Hope to see more of Laela in the future!

Well... for starters you can get to actually see her.

I remember her bigger ...

I enjoyed this and I look forward to seeing more.

Embala wrote:

I remember her bigger ...

Can't figure out how to post the image bigger...

Beautiful ending.

Allow me to offer a helping hand, Redhead.



Here's your pretty, happy Laela.


I guess you've used the URL for the "thumbnail". When you click in the image you will see possible codings below:
1. look up Image -> Direkt links:
2. copy the http-Address there
3. choose the "big window" icon in the toolbox and paste the address in
4. submit