The Innocent Mate Of A Dragon

Chapter 8: The Injury

Next Morning

My eyes slowly open and I was in a cottage. My head was aching, I felt around it and they were bandages wrapped around. Someone must have found me and treated me. I think I was running too fast, so I didn't notice a low branch hanging from above and I smacked into it knocking me out.

I stood up slowly, walked outside, and looked around. This was a beautiful spot in The Dark Forest, with flowers, bright green grass, and birds chirping. I heard faint chuckles, giggles, and the sound of small footsteps. I followed the sounds then I saw a little elven boy and girl playing in the field. They looked so precious. I walked slowly and approached them. "Hey, you two shouldn't be here in this forest." They looked like they were twins.

The boy looked up at me and laughed. "I think you're the one who shouldn't be here."

The small girl flipped her short brown hair. "Yeah, it's The Dark Forest."

I looked down at them confused. "Exactly, I can handle myself… well most the time, but you two probably struggle with using magic at your age. How old are you?"

The boy drew a blank expression. "We're eleven. Magic? Yeah, I can't use it at all, but you're right with her struggling, can't control it at all." He shrugged.

I froze when I felt something land behind me. I fell to the floor onto all fours. No, no, no, my head was throbbing so I couldn’t properly use magic in this condition. It was for sure a dragon, so I stood up and turned around. She was a gorgeous purple dragon. I take a few steps back standing protectively in front of the children.

The thing was they pushed past me and ran to the dragon. The dragon shifted into her human form and the kids tackled her. "Mom!" They cheered. Mom? This dragon was their mother? Did she adopt two elf children…? I never heard of that.

The mother laughed with joy. "You guys can't leave the house without telling me. At least not too far so if I'm sleeping then just wake me up. I worry easily about you both." She placed a kiss on each of their cheeks.

I looked at the mother, I didn't want anything to do with dragons. I disliked them for what they did to my people, but I didn't fear them. I didn't fear them before, and I still didn't. Scorch maybe I did fear him.

I looked at the kids closer and more observant. The boy was tall for an elf, probably the height of an eleven-year-old human, not an eleven-year-old elf. The girl did have elf height. They had beautiful emerald, green eyes while their mothers were plain brown. Their ears were pointy but not like an average elf it was a little dull and they had freckles. Their mother had brown skin while they both had light brown skin. The twins' magical energy was low no wonder the boy said he couldn't use magic. "They're half-human." I blurted out then covered my mouth fast. I mean it was obvious they were half-human and half-elf. I just didn't want to appear rude.

The mother looked at me and shook her head. "If you want to be technical, their blood is a half-elf, one-fourth human, and one-fourth Dragon. I'm a dragon shifter and their father is an elf," she explained. 

Dragon shifters were considered half-human since they could completely shift into one. "Dear, you should be in bed until you're recovered. Your head injury is bad." I was still processing what she said, So, they aren't adopted, she had children with an elven man, even more unheard of.

She walked to me and touched my bandage. I smacked her hand away and back up. "I am sorry. I will not accept help from a dragon." I didn't sound like me at all, I loved all creatures before. I felt like I was losing myself.

The twins snarled at my comment while the woman just sighed. "I thought you were... different. I saw noticed you in the forest a week or two ago with a shifter when I was flying. I thought you could- never mind. You can leave... just please tell no one of my children. Please." She pleaded then walked back to them and hugged them tightly.

“Wait…,” I said because of inner conflict.

She stood up and looked at me again kindly but at the same time with hurt. "I wanted to believe you would help us. Elves, humans, dragons. What's the real difference? We have different abilities but mind, spirit, and heart are the same. So why must we hate each other? I don't want my children growing up to hate any part of themselves. I don't want them hating the elven part, the human part nor the dragon part."

I rubbed my arm softly in guilt. "Wait. I will help you. I am sorry. I am confused. A lot has happened." How could I go against everything I ever stood for? "I do not know what to believe anymore. I do not know how to feel about any species. Yesterday I loved dragons and hell I was riding on the back of one. Today I found out he had something to do with the death of my mother... I feel so torn."

She looked at me very confused but cleared that expression up as soon as she could. "I understand. So, you're not afraid? Just confused?" She walked to me slowly. "Elves have done wrong by Dragons and Dragons have done wrong by elves. War is war and there is no right side. That's why I want my children and me to stay neutral and not blame any one side. The way I see it is that t's neither of their faults, only confusion." She smiled warmly.

I smiled back. I felt like I could trust her, plus she reminded me of my mother. What I can remember of her anyways. "Neutral sounds good to me." Even though I said this, understand I still will not have anything to do with Scorch, it wouldn't feel right. She took my hand in hers and I allowed it as we walked back to her cottage.

We walked in. "How exactly can I help your children?" I asked.

The female twin jumps excitedly at the question. "Magic, teach me magic!" She answered.

Their mother nodded "I'm not elven, I thought knowing how to use magic would happen naturally, but Kellin can't do magic and Kylie can't control it at all."

I chuckled. "Is that all? I'm very skilled in magic. I can definitely teach you both."

Kellin scoffed and crossed his arms. "I don't need magic because I'm going to live as a dragon shifter, not an elf. I'll shift soon."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Magic is so much cooler plus we were supposed to have fully shifted two years ago. I've given up on that."

Their mother whimpered at their words. "You guys should want to do both." She looked at me. "Please teach them the things I can't." She pleaded again.

I nodded in response. "Of course."

A smile graced her face. "First you need to make a full recovery, okay?"

“Deal.” Her saying that made me remember my head is pounding in pain and had been the whole conversation.

Kellin looked up at me. "You're an elf so heal yourself."

I laugh slightly at his statement. "Elves cannot use magic on themselves. We can make ourselves potions but I’m not very skilled crafting healing potions."

His mother brought me to the room I was in when I woke. I lied in bed, and she put a hot towel on my head. "Oh, by the way, my name is Jenny." She introduced herself.

"I'm called Carissa," I replied and fell asleep quickly.

Night

I woke up and I feel perfectly fine, my head felt a lot better. I got out of bed, walk out of the room, and saw Jenny on the couch. She looked at me with a smile. "You're better? How are you feeling?"

"Yes. I am feeling great. I need to go. To my father, I have been gone for a whole day and a half, far too long. I need to let him know I am fine. I will come back tomorrow and teach them for a couple of hours." I bit my lip nervously.

"Okay. That's completely fine with me. Your horse is outside, it was what lead us to you when you were knocked out. Basically, asking us to help you." She explained.

I smiled. "Thank you again for that. I afraid if I come back that I might be followed. I’ve been followed before." I warned her.

“There are magical items you can use to prevent being followed. Do you have access to any of them?” She asked.

I nodded. “I can get something.” I walk outside and hopped on my horse and I road her all the way back to The Enchanted Kingdom. I road into the castle's stables. I get off of her and walked into the castle. I walked into my father’s office and left him a note saying I went to clear my mind and that I'm fine.

I went to my best friends’ room because I knew Bailey must have been worried sick. I sat down and explained the last month to her since I met Scorch, everything. I told her about Scorch, riding him, the feelings he gave me, about what he did to my mother, and the female dragon I met. I told her about Jenny and how she helped me but not her children, she told me not to tell anyone so for now I wouldn't tell even Bailey.