1
14 years later
I awaken to the sound of chirping birds and music as sunlight creeps into my caravan. I hop out of bed and rush to get dressed. There is a knocking on my door. "Allora? Are you awake yet?" a voice calls. It's Calypso. Calypso is my adoptive mother; I was left on her doorstep as a newborn. "Yes Calypso, I'm just getting ready." I shout back as I pull on my boots. I brush out my long, curly blond hair and put on my locket. This locket is the only thing I have as a reminder of my real family. I open it up and listen to the beautiful melody that plays. Inside there is a photograph of a young couple who could only be my parents. A young woman with long, beautiful brown hair pulled up into a braided bun and vibrant blue eyes. Next to her is a slender young man with slick blonde hair and green eyes. After the music is over I rewind the coil and close the locket.
I open my caravan door and head outside. The bards play their instruments as the women dance around the fire. Children laugh and play and the smell of roasting pig and moss fill the air. "Ah, I see you are finally up and ready." Calypso says with a wide smile. I run to her. "Hello Calypso! Where's my birthday gift? Did you hide it? Do I have to find it like last year?" I attack her with my questions as my excitement has me pouncing out of my skin. Calypso laughs, her voice smooth and calming. "Now Allora, just be patient. Allow us to celebrate your birthday. Go on and have fun first." Calypso replays. "Oh, alright I guess." I sigh as I go on to wonder the camp. I go on and talk to some of the camp residents when I hear my name being called. I look around to find my best friend, Jeffri hiding behind a tree outside the camp. I run over as fast as I can to greet him. "Hey Jeffri, are you going to come over to the camp and join the party?" I ask. Jeffri blushes and twirls his goatee. Jeffri is a satyr, which means the top half of him is human, but the bottom is goat. He has bright red, shoulder length hair which shines in the sun and a tiny little goatee. "W-well are you sure I can. I m-mean I wouldn't want to be intruding. I-I just…" his voices slowly drifts off. I just chuckle at him. "Oh come on Jeffri don't be shy, you've been in the camp before. It's not like they don't know you. Plus it's MY birthday after all; I can invite whomever I like." I assure him as I grab his arm and lead him over to the camp.
For the whole day we talk and feast and dance and enjoy ourselves until a strange carriage pulls into the camp. We all look over, most of us confused because it's not often we have visitors other than a few traveling merchants. Two men hop from the carriage and rush over to the campfire we were sitting by. The one man, an elf with black hair, stops and stares straight at me. He then rushes over and hugs me tightly. "Allora, I am so relieved you are okay!" He shrieks with joy. He then stops hugging me but remains to grasp my shoulders. He examines me from head to toe, a smile stretched across his face. "Oh my, just look how you've grown! We haven't seen you since the day you were born! Ah, look Thomas; she resembles her mother so much. Oh how I miss her." The man drowns on. I just look at him, filled with confusion. "Uh, excuse me," I interrupt and both men look towards me. "Might I ask who you are?" Both men laugh. "I'm terribly sorry, of course you'd have no memory of us." Says the second man, a human with short brown hair. "I'm Thomas, and this is Franklin. We delivered you here to be safe with Calypso when your-." Thomas starts but is interrupted by Calypso. "Thomas, Franklin. May I speak with you for a moment?" Both men exchanged confused glances. The confusion then turns to disappointment and shock. The men nod in understanding and walk off with Calypso. The few people around us all look at each other with worrisome expressions. I look at Jeffri. He shrugs his shoulders also unsure of what's going on. We seem to be the only ones that don't. I grab Jeffri by the arm and pull him over behind a caravan. I can hear Calypso, Franklin and Thomas speaking. "A-Allora I'm not sure we should be eavesdropping on them like this, it seems kind of rude." Jeffri whispers to me as I edge forward. "It's fine Jeffri. Don't worry just keep quiet and listen, okay?" I say gesturing for him to come nearer. "Why haven't you told her yet?" says Franklin pacing back and forth. He sounds very upset. Calypsos voice is serious and relaxed. "I didn't want to overwhelm her with such a thing just yet. I was going to tell her tonight, but you two showed up." She said. "Yes, well we decided to come tonight instead of in the morning. Something came up." Thomas says looking down at his feet. Calypso stepped forward. "Is it what I think it is?" Calypso says quietly and calmly. Thomas looked up at her, his face grim. "Yes. They know she's alive."