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Home Sweet Home | Part One


LostPoet
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Alevaera sighs softly, wiping the beads of sweat forming on her brow with the back of her hand. The summers were always so dreadfully hot, and she’d always manage to break into a sweat while preforming her daily chores around the orphanage. She has been working there for so any years; it’s been what, thirty years now? Time sure seems to fly by while tending to the well-being of children. The orphanage she worked for had many, housing different races; some mixed, other pure bred like her, so she along with the few staff there had their work cut out for them.

 

Standing from her knelled position on the ground, Alevaera inspects the garden before her, nearly vacant of any possible pesky weeds thinking that they can take refuge among the vegetables. Looking up to the sky, the sun appeared to be positioned around mid-day; she should help the head mistress with preparing lunch. Alevaera ties her hair into a tighter bun, pinning any loose hair up and out of her face. Carrying the tools along with her towards the storage shed, she avoids colliding with any children playing outside. Once the tools are put in their rightful places, Alevaera locks up the shed, so that the children can’t get into mischief.

 

Inside the kitchen, she scrubs all the dirt and grime from her hands, attentive of the dirt under her nails. She inspects the head mistresses work, getting an idea of what she’s preparing as she begins helping. The head mistress is an elderly human woman, going on ninety-two. Her aged hands peal apples, preparing them for a pie. Alevaera has not naive or ignorant, she was well aware of the clash most races have with each other; how Snow Elves are greatly disliked, and how humans are prideful and greedy. At the orphanage however, none of this mattered. Alevaera was well appreciated by the children and the head mistress, and all were taught to be open minded toward others.

 

“This old woman is getting on in her years, it’s nice to have young energetic workers like yourself to help around” The mistress says softly, her hands working without flaw or hesitation, but at a slow pace.

 

“It is my pleasure to help around here. This place has been my home for so long, I couldn’t imagine myself leaving.” Alevaera replies in earnest. “I have a debt to repay you after all; for having taken care of me for so long.”

 

The elderly woman frowns, waving off Alevaera’s last statement. “I was just doing my job; your parents paid me well enough to take care of you. You were never a burned.”

 

Hearing this warms her heart; this woman was like a mother to Alevaera. While she had some memories of her parents, they were few, and far from perfect. She could remember them giving her up so clearly, she was only six at the time. She knows per parents weren’t the best people, but they were her parents, and she found it in her heart to love them regardless. Silence falls between the two women, as they prepare the pie and stew for everyone. Creaking floor boards, matching echoing footsteps running down halls, excited voices calling to one another, there was never a quiet or still day within the orphanage. It was comforting to hear the noise, because Alevaera knew that they were alive and well; that the children were happy and knew they were loved.

 

A peculiar set of footsteps neared the kitchen, appearing in the door were two of the older boys in the orphanage; a Halfling named Elton, aged thirteen, and an Orc boy named Kurukk, aged twelve. The pair looked distraught, breathing heavily as they stand in the doorway.

 

“Alvayra lady, please come help!” Pleads the Orc, though young, the Orc was almost as tall as herself. The boy was usually the last child to ask for help, always insisting that he doesn’t need it. So hearing such a worried request has Alevaera immediately worried.

 

“What’s happened Kurukk? Is everything alright?” She inquires, wiping her hands with a dish towel. Before the Orc can reply, Elton jumps in to answer.

 

“Wild dogs Miss Alevaera! They got Merph stuck up inside a tree! You always told us to come get you if there is trouble, so we ran here as fast as possible!” The Halfling rushes, “We were playing out by the front, when two wild dogs wandered over!”

 

Alevaera tenses up at the mention of wild dogs; this wasn’t the first case of stray dogs wandering out towards the orphanage, no doubt looking for food. The orphanage has had a run in with them on multiple occasions, even when she was just a young girl, they’d come when you least expect it, and they attack without warning.

 

Keeping her mind from wandering to a dark memory, there was an emergency at hand, she needed to be brave and stay focused. Her hands tighten into fists, pinned at her sides.

 

“Out front you said? Are they by the large Oak?” She inquires, eyes wandering around the room for something she may use. There is a steel fire poker; it’s not very long, but it will have to do.

 

“Yes ma’am! Will he be okay?” Elton asks, wringing his hands nervously; a habit he’d gotten from her.

 

“Yes. But I need you boys to keep everyone inside, get everyone in the backyard inside. I want you to shut all doors and windows on the first floor, understood?” She orders firmly, picking up the fire poker with two hands. From the corner of her eye, Alevaera could vaguely see a look of horror on the Head Mistresses face.

 

The boys nod quickly, and rush out quicker, going to wrangle up any children outside. Knowing the boys would do their job quickly put some ease to Alevaera’s mind; she could try and handle the dogs on her own, without worry of any other children getting hurt.

 

“My dear child, you need not put yourself in harm’s way. I am sure that local patrols will come, o-or we can get help-“ The elderly human woman goes to grasp Alevaera’s hands, but retracts them when the Elf offers a kind and reassuring smile.

 

“I am sorry Head Mistress, but we both know that soldiers do not patrol this far out. It would take far too long to get help; those two wild hounds will tear that boy to shreds if I stand around. I must try.” She says as firmly as she can, though there is uncertainty in her voice. She is not a fighter, she knows this well enough. But damn those dogs she’d give it her all, she’ll let nothing and no one hurt the children under her supervision.

 

A defeated sigh leaves the elderly woman, hanging her head low as she allows Alevaera to leave. On her way out, Alevaera snatched up a hand towel, wrapping it around her fore arm before stepping out the front door. Immediately, she bears witness to the dangerous scene before her; Murph, a pint sized wood Elf, clings to a high branch of an Oak tree. The Elf is scraped up, with a bit of blood dripping from his arm. Just seeing this has Alevaera’s blood run cold, as she instinctively grips her own arm at the sight of the wound.

 

Murph takes notice that Alevaera has left the front of the house, and cries out to her for help. His words are garbled and far from proper common, no doubt the child is scared out of his wits. Her cold blood comes to a boil at the sight of the pleading child, tears streaming down his cheeks. Alevaera had no time to be afraid; there were two beasts in the yard in need of being removed.

 

With a tight grip on the fire poker, Alevaera approaches the tree with wide strides, fanning out her arms to appear bigger than she really was. With a deep breath, she fills her lungs, and expels the air in as deep of a guttural scream she can manage. Her voice carries, reaching the wild dogs instantaneously, their attention away from the boy and to her. Alevaera holds her shout, and breaks into a run towards the hounds, the hand holding the fire poker rising above her head, and ready to strike the animals with as much strength as she can.

 

The surprised beasts are startled by the quickly oncoming aggressor, and hightail towards off the property. Alevaera doesn’t halt her chase there, she continues after them for a good distance, only stopping as the fiends are far out of sight. Finally standing still, the Snow Elf takes notice that she’s shaking like a leaf, her legs feeling flimsy and unsteady. This did not stop her from rushing back to the front yard of the orphanage, to make sure Murph was alright. Kurukk and Elton were at the Oak before she reached them, Kurukk helping Murph down from the high branch.

 

Alevaera drops onto her knees, and inspects Murph’s wounds with frantic haste, her breaths wracking with the threat of sobs.

 

“Thank the stars above; let us get your cuts cleaned up Murphy dear.” Alevaera sighs, lifting the small Elf into her arms with care. With soft eyes, Alevaera beholds Kurukk and Elton with gratitude. “You boys did well today; there are not enough thanks in this world to offer, your actions very much saved Murph’s life.” She lightly touches foreheads with the young boys, unable to offer a hug with her arms full.

 

Elton shakes his head, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. “No need to thank us Miss, we only did as you asked. You were the one doin the saving.” The boy states, his expression bashful as he kicks a stone absently. “Short Murph needed help, and you would have been upset if we didn’t get you.”

 

“We could have takin on the dogs, they were weak runts.” Kurukk crosses his arms over his chest, turning his gaze away with a grunt. “There was a lot of blud, my tiny brother might have been hurt worse if we made a mistake.”

 

Alevaera smiles none the less, leading the boys back into the orphanage. She cleans and bandages Murph’s few wounds, they were thankfully not too deep, but they would leave behind scars. Lunch was served after the incident, with the other children buzzing with questions. The three boys were happy to answer the questions, and tell about their dangerous encounter with the wild dogs. Alevaera was just content with the even being over, with everyone safe and sound.

 

She would put this whole ordeal behind her, and distract herself with her daily tasks soon enough. She has far much to do around the orphanage to let an accident hold her still.

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