Chapter 11

340

"Bernard, you can come in now," Jacob called from the small room.

After the sounds he heard, Bernard was nervous to enter. So, he took a deep breath and forced himself forward. He saw Sarah in Bed with Jacob sitting on the edge. The midwife stood next to the bed, a soft smile on her face as she gazed at Sarah.

"You can come closer, Bernard," Sarah said gently.

Curious, Bernard continued to take steps until he could see the little bundle in her arms. "That's a baby?" he said. The tiny human appeared helpless and frail yet somehow adorable.

"This is your sister," Jacob said.

"What's her name?"

"Clara," Sarah responded.

Bernard smiled at the baby. "Hello, Clara. I'm your big brother, Bernard." He reached out to her, and she wrapped her hand around his finger. "I promise I will always protect you."

343

It was a dark and gloomy day. Hundreds of people showed up to attend Nicholas' funeral. The bishop had touched that many lives. Bernard stood near the back with this family so they would not draw attention. He held Jacob's hand while Sarah held three-year-old Clara in her arms.

"Why do people die?" Bernard asked softly.

Jacob sighed. "That is a question people have wondered for ages. In Nicholas' case, it was his time. He did all he was meant to do here. He believed he was going to a better place. You need not worry about him."

Bernard wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "And what about us? How do we go on?"

"We live as he would have wanted," Sarah said. "We continue to spread goodness and joy to others."

"Yes, I have been thinking about that," said Jacob. "We should find ways to reach more children."

"We can't reach everyone without Nicholas," said Bernard.

"Then perhaps we need to find more helpers." Jacob looked up at the sky, appearing thoughtful. "Bernard, I think it's time we paid your elf village a visit... if they are willing to have us."

"Of course. You're my family. You are all welcome there." Bernard did not know what Jacob had in mind, but he was willing to follow his lead.

2005

Bernard slept surprisingly well. However, he nearly jumped out of bed when he opened his bed and saw Brooke lying opposite of him. Then he remembered what transpired the previous night. This girl was quite daring to take charge like that. Then again, maybe she was really tired and thought she had no other choice.

He stood slowly so as not to wake her. He had almost reached the door when he heard her say groggily, "Good morning."

"Morning," he mumbled without looking at her. And then he left.

Bernard readied himself as quickly as possible. Sarya insisted on serving him breakfast, so he saw across from her and Brooke in the small dining area. The pastry offered to him was quite good, and the tea was not bad either.

"I trust you both slept well," Sarya said.

"Yes," Brooke said.

"I am sorry for disturbing you last night. Where did you end up?"

"In Bernard's room."

"Oh?"

"It was fine. He didn't move at all, so there was plenty of space." Brooke cast him a nervous glance. "But maybe you'd rather we figure something else out?"

"No, it's fine," Bernard said gruffly. "Don't worry about." Logically, it did make sense. If he said he had a problem with it, that would bring more questions than he was willing to answer. "We won't be staying here for long anyway."

"Then I'm glad that's settled. When will you be visited Theoden, Bernard?"

"Immediately."

Immediately after breakfast, of course. Bernard departed with as little talk as necessary. He did not have time to waste with pleasantries. He was on a mission! He returned to the government building and knocked on the door. Theoden answered with the same fake smile plastered on his face.

"Bernard," he said, "how lovely to see you again. What can I do for you today?"

"I would like to speak with you," said Bernard, "if that's alright."

"I suppose I can take time out of my busy schedule to accommodate you - if it would get you to leave my city faster."

Bernard bit back his irritation. "Yes, of course."

A smirk twitched on Theoden's face. "Then let us take a walk." He led the way to the ground and then start along the path through the village. Bernard had no choice but to fall in step beside him. "Now, what seems to be on your mind?"

"I need to know why your magic is fading."

Theoden gave him a side-long glance. "Straight to the point, are we? Does it matter the reason? You should be asking what we are doing about it."

"How can you do anything about it if you don't know the reason?"

"We can learn to adapt to life without magic."

"With all due respect, that is not what is best for the elves."

"You mean it's not what's best for your elves. Without our magic, we are of no use for your workshop."

Bernard grit his teeth. He had to be patient if he wanted to get anything out of this guy. "It is an honor to work in Santa's workshop."

"Perhaps it used to be, but times have changed. Santa has lost his relevance."

Bernard shook his head. "I disagree. We have been as busy as ever at the North Pole."

"Of course, human children still want their toys, but Santa has lost his importance among the elves. Everyone realizes they have more options. Sometimes better options."

"If your magic is gone, you're taking away their option to work for Santa."

Theoden shrugged. "It is your rules that make it that way. If you were to expand your requirements..."

Bernard bristled. "And basically let humans in? No way!"

"Why not? They are not so different than us. Take a look." Theoden stopped and motioned to the busy streets of the marketplace. "What do you see?"

At first, all Bernard could see were elves milling about, purchasing goods or chatting with each other. Then he noticed that some of them did not have pointed ears. "There are humans mixed in with the elves."

"That's right. They're co-mingling as they should be."

"Elves and humans have always been separate."

"That is because humans used to fear and resent us. That is no longer the case. We may now live together peacefully without fear of harm. There is no reason for us to separate."

Bernard frowned. "The North Pole requires the use of magic. Not every human can tolerate magic like an elf. There is a difference between us."

Theoden tilted his head to the side. "Is there? In the beginning, those elves who did not tolerate magic did not survive. With current human science, we now know that magic-tolerating genetics have been past down to every elf since. Should humans not be given the same chance?"

Bernard held in a sigh. "If you want humans to experience magic, why aren't you concerned about the problem?"

Theoden swept his arms out. "I am concerned! It is my belief that a tolerant attitude towards humans will help us restore our magic. It is up to us to fix what was broken so long ago."

Bernard gave him an odd look. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Come with me. I'll show you what I mean." Theoden abruptly turned around and headed back in the direction of the government building. Instead of stopping at the building, however, he continued under it through the tall grass.

An uneasy feeling filled Bernard. "Where are we going?"

"To the human village, of course."

Bernard focused to keep his tone calm and even. "Why?"

"Do not be nervous. Everything has changed since the last time you were here."

"I'm not nervous." But Bernard could not help it. Even in his last days living in the village with Jacob, there were still those who hated him for being an elf. He could not imagine things had changed that much. And yet, as he started down the streets, no one even gave him a second glance.

Theoden gave him a sly smile. "You see?"

Bernard bristled out of instinct. "They could be too busy to notice me."

Theoden tilted his head. "Perhaps." He continued to the marketplace, which had changed dramatically since Bernard last visited. Of course, this was to be expected with the advancement of human technology. What he did not expect to see was how similar it was to Ciradyl's marketplace. "Now take a look around."

Bernard swept his gaze across the humans. No, not all humans. There were a few elves mixed in as well. "Elves are welcome in the village?"

"Indeed. Humans have evolved beyond their prejudice, and we must evolve beyond ours. Elves are slow to change. Perhaps this issue with our magic is a way to get our attention."

Bernard frowned. "Maybe... I would still like to check out the Star Shard."

Theoden resumed walked through the village. "All in due time. First you should really take in the village - both villages - and see how things have changed."

Bernard sighed. "Fine. Have it your way." If he humored him long enough, maybe he would give him what he wanted. He followed the leader through the village, taking in the modern streets and buildings. It appeared just like most other villages now. He bet everyone didn't know everyone anymore.

Although the structures had changed, he still recognized the places where he had gone with his family. His heart ached every time a memory came to mind. Theoden did not help matters with his silence. Was he doing this on purpose?

One notable absence was Christmas decorations. Of course, this city did not celebrate Christmas for the most part. Did Santa even make a stop here? Still, the neglect made him feel hollow, like something was missing. If the elves were influenced by these humans, no wonder they were not interested in magic or Santa.

"Is everything alright?" Theoden said at last.

"Yes," said Bernard, "but I am done here. Let's go back to Ciradyl."

"As you wish."

Brooke looked around nervously upon exiting the house. "Are you sure it's safe for me to be out here?" she asked. "I got some pretty extreme reactions yesterday - from both sides."

"Of course," said Sarya. "They'll leave you alone as long as you're with me. Come, let me give you a tour."

"O-Okay."

Brooke gradually relaxed as she explored the village with her companion. Some people did give her dirty of excited looks, but they did not approach her or say anything to her. Sarya took her through the marketplace and the park. There were many buildings built of wood that blended in with the forest.

"This is so cool," Brooke said. "It's like a human town, but everything is embedded in nature."

Sarya smiled. "Elves have always had a symbiotic relationship with nature. We may have adopted some human technology, but we have not forgotten where we come from. Many believe it is our receptivity to nature that allows us to use magic. The fruit that allows us to use magic is not compatible with everyone, you know."

"Yes, I remember learning about that in elf school."

Sarya looked at her curiously. "Oh? You attend elf school?"

Brooke nodded. "That's right. I couldn't find any job I was good at, so Bernard sent me to school."

"And how did you end up at the North Pole in the first place?"

Brooke rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I'm from Canada and went searching for the North pole with my dog."

"You mean on and expedition?"

"Nope. Just the two of us. No training or anything like that." Brooke frowned. "It sounds stupid now that I think about, but I didn't have any other choice. I'm useless everywhere else."

Sarya gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure that's not true, dear."

Brooke shook her head. "No, it is. I tried many things. I could never get a job or find any friends. I'm good at writing, but my writing never appealed to anyone." She stopped and looked up at the sky. "I've always felt like an outsider for believing in things others give up on when they're adults. That's why I thought the North Pole would be perfect for me. It was my only chance." She sighed. "But I kept messing up everything there too."

Sarya placed a hand on her shoulder. "You could not have messed up that badly if Bernard brought you here with him."

Brooke smiled slightly. "Yeah, it was Santa's idea. He thinks I'm good with people. I needed to prove him right so I can finally help Bernard. He saved my life when I got hypothermia."

Sarya's eyebrows lifted. "Is that so?"

"Yep. He could not save my dog, but he had enough magic to save me. He didn't do more than what anyone else would do, but I'm still grateful."

"Hmm... I wonder if most elves would not have let an intruder die than use up valuable magic needed for the workshop."

Brooke frowned. "I never thought about it that way."

Sarya smiled at her. "He values you more than you think."

"I guess so."

"Sarya! What are you doing with that human?"

Brooke skidded to a halt to prevent running into a male elf who appeared no older than 15. He had his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. She offered him a friendly smile. "Hello there. I'm Brooke."

"I didn't ask for your name."

"Brooke is my guest," Sarya said gently. "Please be polite. Brooke, this is Luthais."

"It's nice to meet you," Brooke scoffed.

Luthais scoffed. "As if. What is she even doing here?"

"She's here with Bernard from the North Pole to help us with our magic," Sarya said.

"I doubt there's anything they can do to help. If you ask me, those human lovers are part of the problem."

"That's not true!" Brooke said.

"Brooke," said Sarya, "maybe we should move on."

Brooke started to agree, but then a thought came to mind. "No. If we're going to figure out what's going on, we have to talk to all kinds of elves." She looked at Luthais. "What's your opinion on the situation?"

Luthais lifted his eyebrows. "You really want to know?"

"Yes. That is why I asked."

"It's Theoden and those human lovers! They're mingling with humans like there's no difference between our races. They've forgotten about what makes elves special. Many of them don't even care that we're losing our magic. Some of them are probably happy about it!"

Brooke frowned. "That does not explain what happened to your magic."

"Isn't it obvious? The Star Shard isn't granting us magic anymore because we're not worthy. We have forgotten about elf superiority."

"Elves are not superior to humans," Sarya said. "We were given the Star Shard as a gift."

"Same difference. We are not who we used to me."

"That's very interesting," Brooke said, and she meant it. She had always wondered if something like Christmas spirit gave elves their magic, so he might be onto something. "Would you be willing to talk about this with Bernard?"

Luthais gave her a critical look. "I doubt he would be interested."

"That's not true. Bernard is very interested in everything everyone has to say. He really wants to solve this problem."

"There's nothing he can do, but I'll talk to him. Find me tomorrow."

Brooke smiled. "Great!" She hoped Bernard would be happy she found him another lead.

"Thank you, Luthais," Sarya said. "Have a good day."

"Yeah, sure, whatever," said Luthais.

"I think it is time we head home for now."

Brooke nodded. "That's fine with me."

They made it back to Sarya's house and had a nice lunch of sandwiches. Then they chatted for a bit about anything and everything. Bernard did not come home until dinnertime, and he did not have much to say at first.

"How did it go today, Bernard?" Sarya asked as she sat at the table with them.

"Fine, I suppose," Bernard said, staring at his plate.

"Did Theoden have anything insightful to say about the situation?"

"Insightful? No. Interesting? Yes." Bernard looked up. "He think you're losing your magic as a punishment for not interacting with humans as equals."

"That's funny," Brooke said. "I talked to an elf named Luthais who think it's interacting with humans that's causing the magic loss. It would be helpful to know the timeline and what came first."

"That would still not prove causation," Sarya said.

"It would help." Brooke looked at Bernard. "What else did you lean?"

Bernard frowned at his food. "That Theoden and some of the elves here have gotten too cozy with humans. It's hard to tell the difference between the two. And the humans here don't care about Christmas, so why should the elves?"

"Festivities have died down in recent years," said Sarya.

"Then maybe we should work on that," said Brooke.

Bernard stabbed at his vegetables with his fork. "The elves need to remember who they are."

Brooke looked at him thoughtfully. "Luthais was saying something like that today. You should let me introduce you to him tomorrow. He can offer a different perspective."

Bernard nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"And I will introduce you to Yunaesa. She is a little eccentric, but she may prove useful."

"Alright. Let's plan for a busy day tomorrow." Bernard stood and headed for the front door.

Brooke watched him with a frown. "Where are you going?"

"Outside. I need to think." Bernard shut the door hard behind him.

Brooke sighed. "He doesn't want to be around us."

Sarya smiled at her sympathetically. "That's not exactly true. I'm sure he's going through a lot. Knowing Theoden, he gave him a tough time. That plus remembering everything he left here must weigh a lot on his mind."

Brooke frowned. "I did not think about it that way. Do you think there is anything I can do to help him?"

"Give him time alone for now, but do not give up on him. Let him know you are there for him, but do not push him if he is uncomfortable."

Brooke shook her head. "That sounds easier said than done."

Sarya chuckled lightly. "That is true. He is not an easy nut to crack. I know you can do it though. Keep trying if you think he's worth it. He's stubborn, so you'll have to be stubborn right back."

Brooke smiled. "That's exactly what I'll be." Somehow, someway, she would win him over, guaranteed.