Hello Fans, Ore-samma here!
Another one from this request post = One-shot requests (6) SPECIAL EDITION | Fandom
How about a one shot about a human saving an Elf (not monsterized) that wandered far from home and fell into a river. The guy brought her home and after a while she woke up.
Not exactly 100% in-line with what was requested, but I like to think I captured the spirit well enough.
Fans, when I write- the story does what it wants to. I think that's why I can write like I do, as fast as I do.
I hope you like it, I am most pleased with how it turned out!
Ever your Servant-
Ore-samma
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I sighed as I finished planting the last of the mana plants in my magical indoor botanical garden. There were so few uncorrupted plants like the ones I grew in the world.
Of course, the mamono plants were as numerous as weeds, but there was something about the old style that I found appealing.
I noticed my supply of river water was running low and prepared my containers for the errand.
The days was pleasant as I rode upon my enchanted levitating cart into the cold, yet humid deep forest.
“Ah! The river!” I sighed as I nudged my cart over the surface where it bobbed merrily along to the center. The forest seemed to hold its breath, allowing the churning river to gurgle and flow in the otherwise still-silence of the day.
I dipped my first container in the water and noticed a shimmer of magic just under the surface.
“What on earth could that be?” I mumbled as I placed the container away and reached below the surface to almost my shoulder. My fingers closed upon something and I pulled something heavy to the surface. I nearly cried out in shock as I realized I was holding onto the harness of an elf maiden. A dim shimmer of magic rippled around her mouth and nose…..a water breathing spell…..
I pulled and pulled until I heaved her on my cart along with a large tangle of reeds, vines, branches, and other vegetation.
I propped her against the side of the cart and peered closer.
“Thank goodness! She’s still breathing!” I blew a sigh of relief. I placed a blanket on her and cast the best healing spell I knew and quickly filled the rest of my containers and brought my cart to the shore and waited.
It didn’t take long before she started to stir and mumble. She looked at me and gasped and looked about her surroundings.
“Found in water! Alive? Are you well?” I mumbled in the best elven dialect I could muster.
She looked at me and coughed. After a few moments she nodded. “I am well. You do not need to speak my language, I know yours well enough.” She looked around again. “Where am I? Last thing I knew is I was chasing after a herd of royal deer, and….and….” Her brow furrowed. “I can’t remember.”
“You are in the deep northern woods, about ten yar’beths away from the human settlement of Tavermire.”
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
I shrugged. “Tavermire is my home, and we don’t see royal deer anywhere near this providence.”
She nodded and stood, looking around. “I- I know...” She sighed and sat back down and looked off to the southwest. “My magic is nearly dry...and I am so far from home.” She looked to me. “Do you have any way to shape and form magic? Any magical restoration spells or items?”
I shrugged. “Most of the magic I deal with, I hire others to do for me. I have plenty of magical plants at home, but…..” I stopped for a moment. “.....but they are at a human town. You’re welcome to come with me, but the few elves I’ve ever met never gave me the impression that something like that would ever be an option.”
The maiden closed her eyes, exhaled and nodded. “Yes, I can see that.” She opened her eyes and looked into mine. “But I am far beyond any hope of getting home without help.” She gave a half smile. “That is, if you are willing to help me.”
I nodded. “Of course! Here, take this blanket. You must be pretty cold. My name is Davos, and yours?”
She gave a full smile. “Neela. Thank you, Davos.”
.
.
We rode back in pleasant enough conversation, and I shared my lunch with Neela that she eagerly snacked on.
By the time we got to the house, darkness fully settled in and Neela stared at my Magical garden with wide, green eyes.
“You grow Helvan, Shivaias, and Green root?” She breathed, looking at all the plants.
“Why yes. Uncorrupted by mamono energy, and as pure as I can manage.”
“Autumn sky plum!” Neela breathed, looking at the fruits my plum tree had. “Davos! Please! May I have one!? I haven’t had an uncorrupted plum in decades!”
I gave a soft chuckle. “Of course! But please, only one. I am trying to cultivate more trees, and the seeds have a better shot at growing if you use the entire plum!”
She nodded. “Absolutely true! But have you used honey as well?” She said, holding the plum to her nose and taking in its scent. “You have a slightly better chance if you coat the plum in honey.”
I gave a soft chuckle. “No, I will have to remember that!” I said sweeping my hand to the three pots that had plum saplings in it.
“You have three more trees?!” She exclaimed. She neared the pots and took a bite and murmured something in Elvish that sounded like a ‘giving thanks’ prayer to her Elven Deity.
“Yes! I hope to one day start a mountain orchid with the Fire Cherries.”
Neela gasped and saw my Fire Cherry tree that had yet to grow fruit, but had at last started to blossom its orange-and-yellow flowers that glowed like a sunset.
She took another bite, turned to me and chewed, her eyes spilling tears. “I have never met a human with so much reverence for pure nature.” She whispered.
I smiled. “Well, it was an elf that saved my life once, long ago. His name is Fahfiln. You wouldn’;t happen to know that name?”
Neela sighed and shook her head, holding the last morsel to me that I gladly partook, and placed the seed in a new pot next to the other three.
.
“I know that from his root-sound ‘’fah’’ that he is of the Western Forest tribe. They are more friendly to humans.”
I nodded. “I know, I hope your Northern tribe will be okay with you being this close to a human settlement….they aren’t so warm.”
Neela gave another sigh and nodded. “I hope so too.” She closed her eyes and gestured with her hands and nodded. “I am able to communicate with them, maybe they can teleport me home. May I have privacy, please?”
I nodded, “Of course!”
.
I stepped out of my garden and put away my containers of river water while I waited, hoping that Neela would be able to go home without any trouble.
The door opened and I looked up to see an elven male warrior pointing an arrow from his bow at me.
“Nechal!” Neela cried out and cut his bow. She shouted in rapid-fire elvish that I could barely follow, but sounded like a staunch defense against me.
The male elf looked to me and back to Neela and spoke tersely.
Neela shook her head and pointed to me and shouted my name several times.
.
The male elf looked to me and his face took on an even more grim expression. “You- human! Where did you steal these plants or the seeds that bore them!”
I stood. “By the light of Corellon Larethian, I swear that all these plants were grown by me, whose seeds were gifts of the earth.”
The male placed his hand upon the hilt of his sword, “You dare to utter the name of-” He stopped as Neela grabbed his hand.
“He saved my life, Nechal! Stop it!”
Nechal let go of his hilt and exhaled with his eyes closed. “The season of anger has passed. I will not strike.”
.
Neela let go and Nechal opened his eyes again. “Human, my pardon. I am not used to dealing with honorable examples of your race. I have come to see for myself that our maiden is not only alive- but safe and uncorrupted. For that- you have my thanks.” He looked to Neela and back to me.
“I could not believe that Neela would so immediately Soul Bond with an outsider without the influence of corruption or some other magic.” He strode to the garden and I followed, feeling as though it was the right thing to do.
He looked about my garden and back to me. “I have not seen the like of anything such as this since my childhood….it has been centuries upon centuries and there is a peace here that I never knew I missed until I saw this for myself.” He looked back to me. “So tranquil and alike to our heritage….I can see why Neela chose you.”
.
I looked to Neela, her face now tomato red and back to Nechal. “Soul Bond? Chose me? What?”
.
Nechal looked to me with a perplexed face as Neela slid closer and wrapped her arms around my arm snuggled into my body.
“That you are innocent of what happened, makes me believe in your purity even more, human.” He said with a softer tone, even the way he said human had a certain admiration and respect.
“Neela has chosen you as her husband, I can only imagine that this magical garden you have made, the respect you have for life, the patience you have for the living, and your kindness revealed a most worthy soul to her.” He slowly, almost reluctantly placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Thank you, messer Davos.” He released my shoulder and gave the barest grin. “I represent my Elven tribe in requesting you stay in touch and help us recreate what you have here.”
I nodded, feeling Neela hug closer to my body. “I will. I would love nothing more than for humans and elves to be brothers once more.”
Nechal smiled in earnest. “Today, if no other day- I have hope that it may one day be so.”
He raised his hands and traced his finger on the plum tree that almost seemed to open up, revealing a portal within its trunk.
“Fair season to you both. Share and rejoice in your love- and know that your children are welcome to come to us and learn our ways.”
.
He slipped through the portal and I turned and held my Neela in my arms, looking at the delicate features of her face, the way her eyes shone a pale, pale mint color.
She sighed and rested her face against my chest and I looked, noticing a strange motion to see a tiny green sprout forming from the fourth pot.
A new seedling from the fruit Neela and shared together.