Miranda screamed again, she felt like she was being ripped apart. But Nir was there, helping her get through it. She felt his magic sweep through her and ease some of the pain. She let out one last yelp. Then she leaned back against her deerskin mat, breathing heavily as her son's first breath took place. She squinched open her eyes. Nir stood there, tall and motionless, his eyes closed: deep in concentration as he finished the pregnancy spell. It had been a year since their marriage, and Miranda had flourished among the elvish race. Clever and determined, Miranda was loved by her new people. She found them simply undeterminable most of the time, but there was a part of her that truly belonged to them alone.

She heard the long cry of her newborn as she lay, tired beyond reason. Nir smiled down at Tilia, who handed Miranda her new child. Miranda took it into her arms, and Nir crouched down beside her. It was a boy, as all the king's wife's sons were. He, (to Nir's disappointment) did not have Miranda's hair. Silky black fuzz stood from the infant's head, and his skin was a fine silvery shade. But the most remarkable thing about him was his eyes, bright golden, like the color of a polished gold goblet.

Nir sat there for a moment, before he exclaimed "Miranda, elves don't have gold eyes!" Miranda looked up at her husband, amusement glimmering in her eyes. Her hair, the color of dying embers, swirled around her pretty face in the slight wind that had blown through the flaps of the tent. Elves, it was true, only had green, blue, or black eyes. Never brown, never hazel, never GOLD eyes,

"Well I guess they do now," Miranda said triumphantly, propping the infant on her hip as it wailed. Nir smiled for the smallest of seconds, before running his hands through his black locks. He was slightly perplexed, the child's constant cry was starting a small painful pounding in his ears. Miranda, who was currently wondering if any mortal being was as attractive as her husband, sighed and left the tent to rid her husband of the wailing. She was getting impatient as well. Everyone always described a birth as a beautiful once in a lifetime experience, no one ever mentioned all the screaming.

As soon as she stepped into the night air a dozen elves pressed in, making soft admiring noises and touching their fingers lightly to his soft hair. Hunter stepped in, grinning widely as he took the infant from Miranda's arms. He threw the child into the air and caught him again. Miranda felt a sudden jerk of emotions. Stumbling forward she snatched the child out of his arms. Hunter looked hurt, staring at her with his large blue eyes. Miranda instantly recoiled in guilt.

"Sorry Hunter, it's just he's so fragile." Miranda explained, glancing up at him hopefully, wishing he would understand.

Hunter smiled again slyly, a twinkle in his blue eyes. "HUMANS," He exclaimed loudly and tugged a lock of her hair. Miranda smiled back gratefully and retorted "ELVES,". She had long ago stopped taking everything so seriously, though there were SOME things she simply couldn't let go of so easily. Nir came to her side then, taking her arm in his.

"Sika, you should rest." It was true her knees felt like they were to buckle any moment. As soon as the words left her husbands mouth she felt faint.

But Miranda smiled at Nir, her perfect manners settling into place. "Nonsense, I'm fine." As if to prove it, she strode forward confidently, little did they know that every step sent a flash of pain through her thin body. Suddenly the pain gave, and she felt idmediately better, giddy almost. She took a couple more steps, and with a gasp of breath, darkness closed in around her.