Selfish Elf Wish (26 page)

This cracks my grandma up. “Yes, all the time! I find it quite funny all these erdlers walking around part fairy, part gnome, part ogre, and they don’t even know it.” Her laugh is light and happy, but I’m freaking out because my grandmother is telling me I’m dating Teen Wolf.

“Are any of my other friends, you know, marked?”

She nods. “But I’m not going to tell you who. I don’t think it’s good for you to know because really, in the end, you must keep it a secret from them.” The smile disappears from her face. “Same is true for Timber. He mustn’t know.”

“And today in the woods . . .” I start to say.

“It came out in him because he was protecting something he cares a great deal about.”

“Me?” I ask, feeling my eyes sting with the memory of Clay advancing on me.

“I misjudged him because of my feelings about wolf people from the past. They used to ransack elfin villages and carry off babies to devour. They were a violent and nasty bunch. But I was wrong about Timber. I should have gotten to know him, then I would have seen that despite— or even perhaps because of—his family history, he is a good person. What’s more, he and I have something in common.”

I blink at her, trying to figure out what Timber and Fawna could possibly have in common.

“We both care about you,” she says.

“Do Mom and Dad see Timber’s mark?” I ask.

Grandma shakes her head. “Probably only a few of the older elves can see it. It’s a subtle thing.”

“But what about Clay and Dawn?” I ask. “Why are they here?”

Grandma rubs the amulet around her neck. “I don’t know, but I suspect when Timber gets here with the fox, we’ll figure out some answers.”

Outside we hear a commotion. I run to the window to see half the men in my family coming into the clearing behind my grandparents’ house, and there, in the midst of them, is Timber. I head for the door.

My aunts and cousins flood out into the clearing. Briar’s mom, Flora, throws her arms around Uncle River’s neck. “For thunder’s sake, what took you so long? We’ve been worried sick!”

I hop over the rail of the porch and run toward the group. Timber sees me and breaks away from the crowd. “You’re safe!” I yell, jumping into his arms. “I was so worried Clay and Dawn would come back or that you wouldn’t know the search party was there to help you and . . .” I bury my face in his shoulder.

He pats my back. “But it’s okay. I’m fine. And I’m here now. And whoa,” he says, looking all around.

We part from our hug and I see that everyone has gathered in a half circle around us. All of my cousins have piled out of my grandmother’s house and stand staring at the strange erdler in Alverland. Poppy, Bramble, and Persimmon push their way to the front of the group and wave. Timber waves back then turns to me, wide-eyed. “It’s like seeing a hundred different versions of you,” he says, and I have to laugh because he’s right.

“There’s a bit of a family resemblance,” I say.

Grandma Fawna and Grandpa Buck stride up through the group and hold out their arms. Timber steps back when he sees Fawna coming toward him, but when he realizes she’s about to hug him, he relaxes. My grandfather takes Timber’s hand in his. “You have done a great service for our people,” he says. “And for that we are grateful.”

“Oh, I, um, I didn’t really . . .” Timber stammers.

Buck turns to all of my relatives. “Hup ba!” they yell in unison. “Hup ba! Hup ba! Hup ba!”

“So that’s where that comes from,” Timber says.

“It’s sort of like a high five around here,” I tell him.

“Cool,” he says, smiling.

“Come.” Grandma Fawna takes him by the arm. “Flora will find you dry clothes and nourishment.” She stops and lays her hands on his shoulders, looks into his face, and says, “But first, I want to thank you for helping us.” She leans down and kisses his forehead. Timber stands there blinking, unsure what to do. Then Fawna turns back toward the search party. “Now I must attend to this fox.”

As Flora leads us into the house, Timber whispers to me, “I thought your grandma didn’t like me.”

“Not anymore,” I tell him. “She thinks you’re awesome.”

“What changed her mind?” he asks.

“Well, um,” I stammer and hesitate, trying to figure out how to say it. “She looked deep inside of you and liked what she saw.”

“My spleen?” he asks, laughing.

“No.” I smack his arm.

“My liver?”

“Stop,” I say, but I’m giggling.

“My kidneys?”

“No,” I tell him. “Same thing I see when I look at you.” Then I pat him on the chest and say, “Your heart.”

 

Not long after Timber is settled in some of Grove’s clothes with a plate of smoked fish, bread, roasted nuts, and dried fruit, we hear my father’s voice in the clearing. I run for the door with Timber close behind. We find my dad, Briar, and Kenji with Poppy, Bramble, and Persimmon hanging off their arms. They’re surrounded by the same wide-eyed group as Timber was a short while ago, only I don’t know who’s more surprised—my family to see someone who looks like Kenji or Kenji to see a bunch of people who look just like us.

“There’s no sign of them that I can find,” my father’s saying as we break into the circle surrounding them.

Kenji throws his arms around Timber. “Dude, am I glad to see you!”

“You have a nice nap up there?” Timber jokes.

Kenji runs his hands through his blue-tipped hair. “Actually,” he says. “I did. I woke up to Briar and Drake shaking me.”

This cracks me up. “He slept through everything!”

“We were so worried about Timber,” Briar says. “Where’d you go?”

“Long story.” I sling my arm around her shoulders. “I’ll tell you over some tea.”

 

Over the next hour, all the search parties come back to the clearing. There have been no signs of Clay and Dawn anywhere in the woods. It’s as if they vanished into thin air. Briar and I tell our stories over and over again to our aunts and uncles, while they try to piece together who Clay and Dawn are and what they want in Alverland. The one missing piece, of course, is the fox. Fawna says we can’t figure that out until my mother returns, which has everyone worried because she’s been gone all day. So for now, the fox is left happily feasting on dried rabbit meat by the fire in Grandma’s kitchen.

“I’m worried about Mom and Willow,” I tell my dad as we make a bed for Timber. He and Kenji are off at the bathhouse before everyone feasts together.

Dad hands me two down comforters and pillows, which I fluff. “Your mother and Willow, more than anyone here, can take care of themselves. They’ll be along when the time is right.”

“But they have no idea Clay and Dawn are out there,” I argue.

He unrolls a large, thin pallet on the floor of our central room. “All the settlements have been warned, and so far no one has seen hide nor hair of Clay and Dawn, so it’s pretty likely they took off after that whooping you gave them.” Dad laughs.

I look around the room to make sure we’re alone. I lean in and whisper to my dad. “There’s something you should know about Timber.”

He leans closer to me. “What?” he whispers back with a silly grin on his face.

“Fawna says he’s a
hamrammer
.”

My dad rears back and stumbles over a bedroll, landing on his back on the floor. “Crikey, Zeph! I thought you were going to say he’s your boyfriend.”

“But don’t worry.” I reach out for my dad’s hand and help pull him to his feet. “He saved me in the woods.”

Dad shakes his head. “I don’t think so.”

“No, it’s true,” I plead. “He’s not the bad kind.”

Dad looks at me for a moment. “I don’t have a problem with him being a
hamrammer
, honey. Or your boyfriend. I was surprised, but I know he’s a good guy, that’s clear. I’ll tell you one thing, though: my daughter doesn’t need anybody to save her butt. Whatever you two did in the woods to get rid of Clay and Dawn was a joint effort.” Then he laughs. “I wish I could have seen it.”

“What?” Grove asks, carrying in a set of sheets for the bed.

“Your sister kicking dark-elf bootie,” Dad says.

Grove bumps me on the shoulder. “Way to go, little sis. I thought you were crazy saying they were dark elves.”

Poppy, Bramble, and Persimmon rush into the room, yelling, “Dinner’s ready!”

“Hey there.” My father scoops them all three up into his arms. “What are we having?”

“The usual,” Bramble says.

“Pizza and hot dogs?” my dad asks.

“No silly!” Poppy says. “That’s erdler food.”

Grove and I follow them out the door, grabbing our cloaks on the way back to Grandma’s for dinner.

I just about lose it when I see both Kenji and Timber dressed in elfin tunics. They look so out of place, like they’re dressed for Halloween. Especially Kenji because his clothes are two sizes too large, so he’s had to roll up the pant legs and sleeves four times. He turns around to show off his new duds.

“Man, I’ve got to say this whole tunic thing is working for me,” he says. “I wish someone had told me how comfortable these things are. I’m giving up my jeans and hoodies for a whole new vibe.”

I can’t contain myself, and I burst into a fit of giggles.

“It’s not half bad,” Timber says, striking a pose as if he’s about to shoot a bow and arrow. “But I think I’d like one in teal.”

Briar and I lead them to the kitchen, where we all fill our plates with corn bread, roasted potatoes, squash, fried apples, and rabbit stew. We find a place to sit among my many cousins. The littlest ones are fascinated by Kenji and Timber, even reaching out to touch Kenji’s dark, blue-tipped hair. But because there are erdlers in our presence, everyone else is subdued.

Kenji and Timber are both great sports about everything, and to their credit they’re not asking many questions yet. I don’t know how we’ll answer anyway, so I’m glad that for now the novelty of this situation is sidetracking everyone. After people finish eating and the dishes are cleared away, my aunts, uncles, and cousins bring out their lutes, flutes, guitars, and mandolins, and everyone begins to sing and dance. Timber grabs my hand and taps his toes. I can tell by his goofy smile that he’s enthralled by the music, and if I weren’t so worried about my mom and Willow, I would be, too.

Then, in the middle of the third song, while my cousins are dancing a four-hand partner jig, Grandma Fawna’s door swings open and there’s my mother, bundled in her cloak, with Willow and Ash by her side. Everyone rushes for them, talking at once. I push through the crowd and find my mother’s arms.

“I was so worried about you!” I say as I throw myself at her.

She kisses my forehead and rubs my back. “We’re fine, honey,” she says. “Just fine.”

Then I turn to Willow. As soon as I see her beautiful face and sparkling green eyes, I grab her. We cling to each other, rocking back and forth. “I’ve missed you so much!” we say over and over to each other.

As my mother steps into the room, she shrieks. Everyone stops talking. We all turn to see what’s upset her. “Great horned owl!” she says with her hand pressed against her chest. “What are they doing here?”

“Hi, Mrs. Adler,” Timber says, weakly waving.

“Hey there,” Kenji says with a grimace.

Mom turns to me. “Zephyr?” she says. “Would you like to explain what’s going on?”

AFTER THE LITTLE
ones are packed off to bed and I’ve told the whole story (again) to my mom, I find Timber and Grove by the fire. Timber’s noodling around on my father’s guitar as Grove plucks a mandolin. They’re riffing on an old elfin melody called “Green Glen Ladies,” and I’m surprised by how well Timber can keep up.

I hate to interrupt them, but I have my marching order. “Mom wants you guys to go to our house now.”

“We’re having too much fun,” Timber tells me as he strums. “Your dad’s guitar is amazing. I could play it all night.”

“Take it with you,” I say.

“Are you coming, too?”

“I have to help my mom and the other women. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Grove stops playing and packs up his instruments, but Timber doesn’t move. “I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you,” he pleads like a child clinging to his mommy, which annoys me.

“Come on, Timb,” I say. “You must be exhausted. Plus, you and Grove can play music back at our house.”

“What about Kenji?” he asks.

“He’s staying at Briar’s house.” I glance over and see that Briar is having as much trouble disentangling herself from Kenji as I am from Timber.

“But . . .” Timber stands up and lays his hand on my shoulder. “There are so many questions I have and so much I want to talk about with you. Plus . . .” He leans in close. “I’ve barely been able to touch you, everything has been so crazy around here.”

I move away from his reach. “I can’t really talk to you about it all now. I have to help my family. Please go with Grove.”

He hangs his head as if I’ve wounded him. I step toward him again and kiss him on the cheek. “I know it’s weird for you to be here, but it’s been a really long day, and I need to help my mom.”

“Okay,” he says reluctantly, but before he lets go, he wraps his arms around me tighter.

Embarrassed that my aunts and cousins may see, I pull away. “Enough, really. I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

The moon is huge and round and yellow over the clearing behind Fawna’s house. The men have organized watch parties for the night—four men, one at each corner of the settlement, taking two-hour shifts until daybreak. It’s the same at all the settlements in the forest, my mom told us when she returned. For extra protection, Grandma Fawna and all the other matriarchs in their own settlements have cooked up barrier spells and spread them around the houses. There’s no way Clay and Dawn will get to anyone tonight.

With Kenji and Timber safely inside the houses, my mother, grandmother, and aunts are ready to look at the poor little fox Clay and Dawn have been lugging around. It sits perkily on a stump in the center of the clearing surrounded by all the women in our clan.