The Girl with an Owl

Chapter 39

"Mommy is daddy okay?" Nectarine asked.

Cassie had a puzzled look on her face but it didn't seem like the news were bad. It was as if among the good news there was a thread of mystery that consumed her whole thinking process and it took her a bit longer to answer the poor, frightened girl than it usually would have taken her.

"What? Oh, yes, yes. Daddy is just fine, he might just be late for supper sorting out exactly what had happened. There is no danger, don't worry. Daddy is safe." Cassie said.

At her words, it seemed as if the whole room sighed a breath of relief. None of them were ready for danger, not even Cassie who seemed so calm and composed all the time.

"Is everything else okay?" Bluebells asked.

It was the longest he had stayed serious since Ajana had met him, and she wasn't sure she liked that side of him. Probably because it came out when something really serious was going on and Ajana was hoping for smooth sailing.

In her mind, she had different expectations of her time spent in Mag. She thought she would learn everything that she could quickly and effortlessly. Then she would find a safe way to reconnect with her family, probably bringing them back to Mag, and they would all live happily ever after.

Serious Bluebells and perplexed Cassie weren't part of her perfectly laid out plan. Their behavior only made it perfectly clear that the plan she had wasn't the most plausible one and the threat of danger showed her that even Mag wasn't the perfect place she imagined it to be.

Although it shouldn't have come as a surprise to her since she had read so many books about amazing worlds and all of them had some types of problems that came out once one immersed oneself in the culture, in the everyday life.

Although she knew it was naive, she had still hoped that maybe Mag was the Utopia everyone always dreamed of and none had achieved. She hoped that maybe life would just be a joyous occasion without wounds to mend or emotional pain to chase away.

After a few moments of reminiscing, Ajana realized that Bluebells' question was still left unanswered. It was as if Cassie was trying to think of a way to stay truthful and yet not reveal the true scope of what had happened.

"Well, there was...hm... slight disagreement with the elf community since they seemed to have forgotten to inform us of their arrival. Also, they seem to be displeased by our interference in their affairs, especially in our agreement to let Kieran stay and possibly lend our help to his cause. They had... hm... a loud way of expressing their displeasure and that is what alerted Bob." Cassie said.

Nectarine and Walnut seemed to accept what their mother had said at face value and went off to their respective rooms reassured that everything was fine and that they could go back to their daily routines. However, the same was not true for Bluebells and Ajana who were the only ones left with Cassie in the kitchen since Rex immediately joined Walnut, and they were probably off to goof around and cause mischief.

"What is really happening?" Ajana asked.

She knew that adults were always trying to protect the children but what she needed more than anything else wasn't to be protected but to know the truth. She needed to know what exactly was going on so that her brain would have the time to catch up with the events as they were unfolding.

"I was telling the truth. Only, I left out the part where they threatened us with war if we showed any kind of support for Kieran and the others who fought against the unjust government, the ones who fought to bring back the old elfin ways that never included violence." Cassie said.

"What does that mean for us?" Bluebells asked.

"Well, there will be a meeting on which we will all get the chance to vote, the majority of votes will decide on our course of action," Cassie said.

"And what happens if the majority is against helping Kieran?" Ajana asked.

She had a bad feeling about what it all meant, but she still had hope. She hoped that maybe people in Mag were beyond the human ways, beyond abandoning the ones in need.

"We ask Kieran to leave," Cassie said.

There was sadness in her voice but also resignation. It felt to Ajana as if she was ready to accept any outcome, no matter what it was and that made Ajana angry.

"You can't just ask him to leave! You have to help him! People are dying in his world. We have to help. As a matter of fact, we should already be helping instead of staying safe and comfortable debating over whether other people should live or die. Because make no mistake, that's exactly what you are talking about here." Ajana said.

"I am sure it won't come to that. Mag's community is filled with good, honest families. I am sure they will make the right choice, they always have." Cassie said.

"Maybe, but even I, as a newcomer, can see what their attitude towards the elves is. It is obvious that they hate elves with a passion. Do you think they would be able to be objective, even kind to the people whom they despise so much?" Ajana said.

Her question was met with silence. Cassie didn't expect Ajana to have such strong opinions at such an early age, and she was stunned. There was no right answer that she could give as she was well aware that Ajana was absolutely right.

Still, in her heart, Cassie hoped that goodness in people's hearts would overcome pain, fear and hate that they had towards all the elves. They would surely understand that the action of a few doesn't speak about the character of all.

Luckily for her, Ajana's curiosity saved her from having to come up with an answer since she had none. It was as if her mind had suddenly turned upside down and the comments of a little girl who was new to their world made her see what their actions might truly become, barbaric.

" What is it with the people from Mag and the elves. Why do they hate them so much?" Ajana asked.

"Well, that is a long and sad story. Are you sure you want to know?" Cassie asked.

Unlike what most girls her age usually did, Ajana took a second to think about it. On the one hand, knowing would allow her to better understand the world she was supposed to live in but on the other hand sometimes not knowing was better for the soul, especially if the story was heartbreaking.

"It is better to know a story that will affect your life and let the ones that don't into the dark," Ajana remembered her father saying.

At the time it was a joke between them, when she asked too many questions about his job or when she kept questioning everyone and everything. She found it funny at the time since she didn't understand its true meaning now that she did, she knew what she had to do.

"Yes, I am sure. I need to know what is happening. This world is already too new and strange to me, I can't afford to not know something that has influenced it as much as the elves have." Ajana said.

Cassie looked at the little girl in front of her, and she couldn't help but wonder how could one's age and one's wisdom be in such a contrast with each other. At the first look, Ajana seemed like a cute little girl willing to help out when she could but once people got to know her better they could see a depth that one didn't expect to see in a child.

Although Cassie didn't plan to tell the children the truth, she felt compelled to tell Ajana, having heard how wise she sounded.

"Very well settled down and I will tell you all I know," Cassie said.

Both Ajana and Bluebells settled down to listen to what Cassie had to say although Bluebells had heard the story before he was eager to see if there would be some details that his family hid from him. That was when Cassie started telling them the story of what happened not so long ago.