Prologue – Blessing of Death

Grief is not something so easily ignored. It overcomes you; it takes over your mind and soul and devours you till you feel only pain. Raina knew this all too well, it had been just a week ago she had endured the loss of her mother. If truth be told, her mother had been dead for years, her soul drifting from her and her body breaking under the effects of a wasting disease that had gradually, become the death of her. By the end, Hera saw her passing as a blessing, and she had walked hand in hand with death out of this world.

Her mother's willingness to die only made the pain of losing her worse for Raina. The young girl was left believing that she was not worth holding onto life for, and as a result had grown angry at her mother for simply giving upon on life. Raina, however, could never hate her mother. She was after all the only parent she had ever known and apparently, ever would know.

Raina's parentage was, and still is, the talk of Lake-Town. It was long rumoured that her father was an elf from Mirkwood. Raina's pointed ears had been a strong indicator that Hera, a mere mortal had slept with an elf. Raina didn't know what to believe, Hera had never told her daughter, and Raina had never asked.

After, and before, her mother's passing, Raina had moved in with her Aunt and Uncle and their two children, they had treated her as they would have her own daughter and Raina felt welcome in their home. However, she felt she needed to contribute and had found a job at the local stable, a job she had come to love.

She worked under the guidance of a man, known by the villagers, as Old Crickley. He sold horses, they were good horses, but they could not rival the horses of Mirkwood. Raina worked hard at her job and the old, Childless man had decided that the stable would belong to Raina in his passing.

It was a normal day, and like all normal days Raina was in the stables with her favourite horse, Hare. It was a strange name for a strange horse. Hare, had a long dark Maine of black that contrasted with its sandy toned body. Its eyes, instead of being the usual dull black glimmered under the influence of the sun.

Raina ran her hand down the horses' nuzzle. "I hope nobody buys you Hare," She breathed. "I can't bare to lose anyone else, especially not you,"

"You'll be lucky," The old Voice of Crickley echoed across the stable. "Do you know how much interest I've had on that horse? It is a fine strong stallion and there are many men, and one or two passing elves who have gazed upon it with envy. You have done a good job with him Raina, and it is because of that you are destined to lose him,"

"I wish he wasn't such a good horse," Raina sighed. "I wish I had the money to buy him myself,"

"But alas you do not. It is the way of business Raina, if you hope to run this place one day then you will understand; that it is not the horses we care for, but the profit," Crickley lectured carefully. Although she liked the old man very much there were many issues she could only disagree with and animal welfare was the subject they most often clashed on. "Now, finish up with Hare. There are many other horses that require your time and affection. A good breeder knows not to put all their eggs in one basket,"

Raina was finally finished with work. The day had dragged on and minutes had felt like hours. Raina was glad to be home. She was five feet from the door and she could already smell the sweet scent of freshly baked bread. Aunt Dione was a fine cook, but even she could not rival Hera's cooking. Raina took a deep breath as she remembered her mother's first attempts to teach her how to bake bread;

"Now, little bug. We must knead the dough," Hera smiled, casting her flour covered daughter a wide grin. "The flour part is over Rain,"

"I want flour," Raina spoke adamantly, reaching out for the over flowing sack. Her tiny fingers were too weak to grip it properly, but they were strong enough to knock it over.

A cloud of white smoke engulfed the room. When finally the pale smoke fluttered to the floor, creating a layer of white powder, a little girl was revealed with the powder covering her head to toe.

Raina opened the door and spotted her aunt standing in the kitchen, Her uncle Lance carefully leant upon the counter accepting frequent testers from his wife. Solanne was sat at the dining table bickering angrily with her little, unruly brother Maldor.

"Oh, hey Raina?" Dione spoke gently, "How does chicken soup sound?"

Raina felt like saying the "about the same as yesterday" but she bit it back. Her aunt did not appreciate sarcastic humour, or any humour at all for that matter. She was one of those people who saw life as black and white, nothing in-between mattered. "Chicken soup sounds fine,"

Raina sat at the table, the ten year old Maldor grinning wildly as he took a sip from his glass of water. "So, how is our half elven cousin doing on this fine day?"

"Will you stop assuming-"

"I don't think there's much to assume about," Solanne chuckled, "No one is born like you are without having at least a little bit elvish blood. I highly doubt that there is any on our side,"

Raina had had this argument more times than she cared to count. Solanne, and Maldor were of course right, it was plainly obvious to any outsider but Raina, who was in the state of denial was just beginning to come to terms with her parentage.

"Probably one of those...wood elves. We know ourselves how much wine they drink," Maldor laughed. Raina's face blushed pink; Dione on the other hand looked like an erupting volcano.

"Leave it Mal, It is not your business what your Aunt Hera – I mean, who your cousin's father is," Dione lectured, "Neither of you should joke about it,"

Solanne and Maldor grumbled in defeat, finishing of their dinner plates whilst carefully keeping their eyes on Raina, who was deep in thought;

"Goodnight little bug," Hera kissed her daughter's forehead, "Do you want a bedtime story?"

"I want to know who my daddy is. Solanne has uncle Lance, why don't I have anyone?" Raina asked her mother gently, falling into a warm hold. "Can you buy one for me?"

"You cannot buy a father, sweet child," Hera sighed, "There either there or they aren't,"

"Why isn't he here then?" Raina asked, carefully reaching out for her mother's cheek. Hera took a deep breath. "I want a daddy; maybe he can come here and see us?"

"He's too busy for that," Hera smiled to herself, "You see, he's a prince and Prince's have a lot of work. Your daddy might not be there like others, but he is out there somewhere, maybe one day in the far future you will finally meet him. But until that day, let us leave the subject of your father,"

A/N

I had this story written already, so it's just a case of re-writing. It was just kicking about gathering dust on my computer. So here it is the prologue/chapter 1. The next chapter will probably be longer, this was unbearably short.