Reborn as an Elven Mother - Chapter 3

Commissioned by Azena

When Cameron, a relentless workaholic, falls into an exhausted sleep one night, he wakes up in the body of an Elven maiden in a strange fantasy realm. Suddenly thrust into a life he doesn’t remember, he must learn how to be a mother while not letting on that he's not who he appears to be.

~

Chapter 3

When I was a boy, back in a life that made sense, I’d been a scout. I knew all about pitching tents, cleaning water and what berries were safe to eat. Unfortunately, all that knowledge was useless now. I would have been rusty back in my world, but here it was useless. We didn't have a tent, the berries and wild food were completely alien, and I had no sense of direction. The only thing I could do was boil water in the little pot I’d had enough sense to grab. Even then, the only way I had to start a fire was Dellah’s magic, and she was only able to make a single candle flame. Most nights, it wasn’t enough to start a proper fire. 

Each night, we slept on the ground, on top of the blankets we fit in our bags. Dellah curled up against me for warmth, and as uncomfortable as it was, it was too cold for me to push her away. She didn't complain, didn’t say much of anything, really. 

Life in that village hadn't been good, but at least we’d had a roof over our heads. Living in this forest, following the seemingly endless dirt road that sometimes disappeared altogether between the tree roots, was far worse. We stopped to rest, and I eyed a tall, strong-looking tree.

“I’m going to try and climb that,” I said. “Maybe I can see what direction we should move in.”

I hiked up my long skirt as much as I could and grabbed a branch, hefting myself up onto it and wincing as my breasts crushed against the bark. I scrambled, trying to get up to the next branch and cursing as my skirt kept catching on the smaller branches. My hair as well. Dammit, this body was so damn irritating! 

“Fuck it.” I hissed, jumping down.” Dellah, pass me that knife we packed.”

Silently, she did so, watching me with those wide, scared eyes. 

I held the blade to my hair, pulling it straight and slicing through in one clean movement. Dellah gasped in horror as I threw the discarded hair to the ground and ran my fingers through it; my hair was still longer than I was used to, but it brushed my shoulders now instead of my hips, far more manageable. I then grabbed the hem of my skirt and stuffed one side into the bottom of my bodice so that my legs were free. 

“There, much better.”

Climbing the tree proved much easier the second time around. I made my way as high as I dared and looked out over the forest. In the distance, I could see what looked like a small village, and my heart leapt only to fall. A stone building was in the centre of town, and my sharp elf eyes could see that same symbol of interlocking circles. The Maple Mother church. That village would be full of more wood elves, and something told me they weren't likely to welcome strangers, even if we did look the part. 

“Anything, mama?” Dellah called.
 “No, just trees.”

I turned in the other direction; I could see a sliver of blue, the ocean. And next to it, a road. It was hard to see this far away; it looked like it was at least a day's travel, if not more, but it seemed like a proper cobblestone road. That had to be the northern road Sybil had mentioned, the one that led to Ruler’s Rest. 

“I know where we need to go!” I said happily as I clambered down, only for my stomach to rumble loudly. “I don’t suppose we have any bread left?”

Dellah shook her head miserably. She looked stricken; I hoped she wasn’t getting sick. 

“Hey, Mama?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

The words made a whirlwind of emotions swirl through me. I’d never had anybody say that to me, I could tell she meant it. Of course, she meant it, she thought I was her mother! Still, telling her the same back felt…wrong. Instead, I just hugged her tight. 

“I know that, sweetie.”

“Are you sure? Because I really do, Mama.”

“What brought this on?”

Dellah didn’t answer, but her stomach did, and I laughed.

“Why don’t we figure out lunch.”

“I found some berries..”

“We can’t keep eating like rabbits…”

I could hear rushing water nearby. Maybe we could find a way to make a net or fishing rod. My thoughts were interrupted by a sniffle and I saw Dellah wiping her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“It’s all my fault!”

The girl burst into loud sobs. 

“You hate me!” She cried. “It's my fault everybody hated us and made us leave and n-now you hate me.”

“Oh, Dellah, no. That’s not true. I was…annoyed that you took my book, but everybody was suspicious of me regardless. It wasn't your fault.”

Even as I said it, I realised it was true. Guilt washed over me like a wave. Had Dellah been blaming herself all this time? Is that why she had been so quiet? I really was crap at parenting. 

“It’s not true, what they were saying. I know you’re not a demon, you’re my Mama.” She sniffled. 

“I…you’re right, I’m not a demon. Come here.”

I opened my arms, and Dellah ran right into them. I hugged her little body close to mine and smiled softly. She was just a kid, I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and start doing right by her. Once I found her father, she’d be fine. She’d have a proper parent, and I could focus on getting home, but until then, I needed to step up. 

“Why don't we try fishing?” I suggested, standing up and taking her hand. “There is a river just over here.”

“But we don’t have a net.”

“Well, I was thinking maybe you could magic us up a fish.” I grinned, “You said you could float objects, right, let's sit here, and when a fish comes past, you try to float it out into the shore.”

Dellah looked at the crystal water in front of us nervously.

“I could try…”

“That’a girl!”

We sat down on the bank, and I drummed my fingers on my bare thigh. Dellah still wasn't smiling. What could I do to help cheer her up?

“I know, why don't I tell you a story while we wait.”

Her lips flickered into a soft smile for a moment, and she nodded. 

“Alright, so this is the story of a world with no magic.” I started.

I had a whole library of unpublished manuscripts to pull from. I started retelling a more kid-friendly version of the latest spy thriller I’d been given while we watched the water. Slowly, the tension and sadness seemed to leach away, and Dellah relaxed. Just as I was finishing a small school of silver fish darted through the water.

“There!”

Dellah thrust out her hands and screwed up her face in concentration. Most of the fish kept going, but one wiggled in place, then, as if pulled by an invisible string, launched out of the water and flopped wetly on the bank. 

“I did it!”

“You did!” I gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. “Well done!”

Dellah beamed with pride as I scaled and gutted the fish as best I could. It wasn’t big, and we only had an open fire to cook it on, but I swore it tasted better than anything I’d eaten in years. Dellah beamed at me, for the first time, I noticed she had a smattering of pale freckles on her face and a crooked front tooth. A warm feeling bloomed in my chest, it took me a moment to realise it was pride. 

~

The salty air was thick with the scent of the sea as we made our way along the cobbles. It was a nice change from the dirt and tangled roots of the forest, but the hard stones were making my feet ache after hours of walking. I could tell Dellah was starting to get tired as well. I’d tried to carry her on my back, but I just wasn’t strong enough to do it for long. The golden hues of the setting sun painted the horizon, casting long shadows over the sea and stones. It would have been beautiful if we weren't so tired and hungry. We passed more people now, horses, carts, even full caravans. But with only three gold coins to our name we couldn’t pay for passage with any of them. 

“Look, Mama, a tavern!” My daughter’s voice, high and sweet, broke through my thoughts. 

The building was bigger than anything back in the village. Two storeys of stone, with a chimney pumping warm smoke into the sky and a stable across the way. I glanced up at the sign above the door. The faded paint on the wood indicated it had seen better days but the words ‘Siren Song’ were still visible. We hardly had enough to stay the night, but the warmth inside the building called to me, the promise of shelter and food. Maybe I could at least get Dellah something decent. 

We stepped inside, and the heat of the fire immediately wrapped around us like a comforting blanket. The sounds of laughter, clinking mugs, and a soft hum of conversation filled the air. My daughter tugged at my sleeve, excited by the lively atmosphere.

“Let’s not call attention to ourselves, just in case,” I whispered. “Wood elves have…a reputation, or so I was told once.”

“We do?”

I was about to explain what Thatcher had told me weeks ago but then something caught my eye. A quick flick of tail, and my mouth fell open in surprise. On the small raised stage in the corner, standing before a crowd of patrons, was the man himself. Or, perhaps the cat himself. It was Thatcher—the Felidae with the bright yellow eyes. He was dressed in simple clothes, but his presence was anything but simple. His tail flicked behind him, and he held a long, crooked staff, using it to gesture animatedly as he told his story.

He caught my eye, and his smile broke through the performance like the sun breaking through the clouds. He didn’t miss a beat in his storytelling, his gaze turning to meet mine even as he continued with the tale, his eyes twinkling with recognition. A few minutes later, he bowed low and held our a hat to gather coins from the crowd before making his way over to us with a knowing smile 

“Ada! I almost didn't recognise you with short hair. Can’t say I thought I’d be seeing you again! And who is this little princess?” Thatcher grinned and Dellah giggled. 

“My daughter,” I replied, the words felt more natural this time. “Dellah. We…had a falling out with our village.”

“We’re going to Ruler’s Rest to find my Papa!” Dellah grinned. “He’s a wizard, and he’s going to teach me magic so I can be powerful just like him.”

“Really?” Thatcher replied. “Well, that sounds lovely, I weave magic with my words, not quite as showy, but just as powerful! Never underestimate the power of a good story!”

“Oh, Mama tells wonderful stories!”

“Does she?”

Thatcher turned to me expectantly and I felt my cheeks flush. 

“Oh, they are just stories for Dellah, nothing grand…”

“I’d love to hear regardless, are you staying here?”

I could feel the weight of the three gold coins in my pocket, but for a moment, it didn’t matter. There was something grounding in the way he looked at us, something that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, the world wasn’t as cruel as it had seemed. Dellah tugged at my sleeve again, her face lit up with a smile. 

“Mama, do you think we can stay here tonight?”

My smile turned forced.

“We don’t have the gold, sweetie.”

“He made gold telling stories! You could, too!”

My cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as I stared at the stage and the room full of patrons. Stand up and tell a story? No way. 

“You should!” Thatcher grinned. “I’d love to hear one, and if you are as good as little Dellah here says, you’ll make plenty of money. Nothing makes coins flow like a good tale and cheap beer.” 

“I don’t know…”

“Tell you what,” Thatcher grinned. “If you get up and tell a story, I’ll pay for you and Dellah to have a good meal and a soft bed. That’s if you don’t earn enough yourself. Either way, you’re set for the night.”

The call of a proper bed after days of makeshift camping sounded like Heaven. I looked down at Dellah’s grubby face; she deserved a proper roof over her head again, even if it was just for one night. 

“Alright.”

Dellah cheered, and I slowly got to my feet. I felt like I was in some sort of trance as I stiffly stepped up on stage with Thatcher who spoke dramatically to the crowd of my storytelling prowess. The hype was getting people interested, but if it was supposed to make me feel more confident, it was doing the opposite. I felt a blush spreading over my entire body, turning my breasts and face pink. I felt keenly aware of my willowy body; the short hair, the marks of the road, my plain dress. Thatcher, at least, was neat, I looked about as far from a showman as possible. 

“And without further adieu, making her storytelling debut! The mysterious and strange, wood elf Ada!”

“Mysterious and strange?” I raised an eyebrow, and Thatcher gave me a small shrug before stepping aside, leaving me alone on the stage in front of a crowd of strangers. 

My mind was blank, I couldn’t think of a single story that wasn’t a child's nursery rhyme. Somebody in the crowd coughed, and people began to glance at one another and chuckle. In a panic I looked to Thatcher, who motioned to start, but nothing came out when I opened my mouth. Then my eyes locked with cornflower blue, Dellah. All I needed to do was pretend I was telling her a bedtime story. 

“Once upon a time,” I started. “In a land called Middle Earth there was a cursed ring…”

I was mostly going off what I remembered from the movies, but soon, I had the whole room enraptured. I felt slightly bad about claiming one of the most famous stories of all time as my own, but it wasn’t like Tolkien was ever going to find out! By the time I got to the end, the whole room was listening, even the bartender and when I finally said ‘the end’, the room erupted in applause. 

A breathy laugh escaped my lips as I started to take a bow and then thought better of it, pulling up the edges of my skirt in a curtsy. The action felt oddly comfortable. Thatcher held out his hat, and the room filled it with coins before lying at my feet. There were almost thirty pieces of gold there! More money than I’d had in my entire life since waking up. 

This would be enough for a room, proper food for Dellah, and maybe some new clothes to replace the fraying ones we were dressed in. Maybe even passage so we didn't have to walk all the way to Ruler’s Rest!  The thought of a hot meal in front of Dellah made a lump appear in my throat but I swallowed it down and ignored the burning sensation behind my eyes. 

“Brilliant! What a story!” Thatcher beamed, “How did you come up with it?”

“Oh, just something I remember from a long time ago.” I blushed. “I can’t believe people pay for stories…”

“Your stories are the best, mama. I told you!” Dellah grinned. 

I stroked my fingers through her hair fondly and, before I could think better, leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Thank you, sweetie.”

~

We stayed at The Siren Song for a few days, building up our coffers with my stories and enjoying some much needed rest. Traders came and went each day, and caravans filled with goods meant I could finally buy a proper pencil for my notes and new clothes for Dellah. Thatcher stayed with us and helped me develop a more dramatic storytelling style. It was actually quite fun, and in the evenings, Dellah and I would sit together, enjoying the warmth of fire and good food. 

I also got a better look at the people of this world. There were a handful of others elves, but also humans, Felidae like Thatcher and a host of other races that seemed animal adjacent; scaled humanoids with snake-like frills and canine-like people with a rough manner of speaking. It seemed this world was far larger than that little village I’d originally arrived in. 

“Just wait till you reach Ruler’s Rest,” Thatcher said as he helped Dellah up into the cart we'd paid to travel with. “Your mama’s stories will earn three times the amount in the taverns there, and when you get good at magic, you can make little illusions to show the crowd.”

“Oh! That sounds so fun I can't wait to learn more magic!” She squealed. “Can’t you come with us?”

“Alas, I promised the keeper here I would stay for at least a week in exchange for free room and board. But one day, I am sure we will meet again. All performers end up in Ruler’s Rest eventually.”

“Thank you, for your help,” I said sincerely, holding his furry hand in my own. “I hope we meet again. It’s a big city.”

“I have a good nose about me, I am sure I will sniff you out.” he winked.

I genuinely wasn't sure if he was joking, but I giggled all the same. I was going to miss his face. Dellah waved enthusiastically as the cart started moving, and I settled back and sighed in relief. My feet were thankful for the rest. I felt a pang of sympathy for the people we passed who were walking. 

“How long will it take us to get to Ruler’s Rest, mama?” Dellah asked, settling down next to me.

“A few days, maybe a week. At least that’s what the caravan leader said when I paid for passage.”

“Will we stay with my father when we get there?”

“...I don’t know.”

Honestly, just getting to Ruler’s Rest had been my only plan, I hadn’t thought of how we would find this Lewin fellow once we got there. Or how I was going to explain the situation to him. 

“What’s he like, my papa?” Dellah asked quietly. “You’ve never talked about him.”

“Well…he was a powerful wizard, and it was a long time ago. I am sure he’s changed since then.”

“But what was he like when you met him?”

I bit my lip; I had no idea. At least when we had been walking Dellah had been too tired to ask questions like this. Trapped in the back of the cart, I had no excuse not to answer. 

“He was nice.” I tried. “Let’s not focus on the past, just the future. Like you hopefully learning magic, why don’t you practice.”

Dellah opened her palm a few times, a tiny flickering flame dancing harmlessly in her palm. She smiled at it and I watched the light dance in her eyes. She really was a sweet little girl. I remembered the wistful expression on her face back in the village watching those priestesses perform their ceremony. 

“Is that why you wanted to join the church, so you could do magic?”

Dellah nodded.

“None of the other kids could do magic, I thought maybe…”

“Well, I am glad you’re not joining them. They were close minded.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that…they were mean. They didn't like Thatcher, just because he wasn't a wood elf. And they thought I was a demon just because I got sick.”

  Dellah hummed to herself. 

“But aren’t wood elves closer to nature? You always said that we were.”

“Well, I changed my mind.”

Dellah pressed her lips together in thought but didn't say anything else, instead snuggling into my side. She opened and closed her palm, making the little flame change colour as we rode on. I relaxed, treasuring the feeling of her against me, safe and warm. 

~

The journey took almost two weeks and I shuddered to think how long it would have taken us on foot. Travelling with the caravan of traders was hardly glamorous, but at least it was comfortable. 

The caravan’s leader, Nia, was Hissant; a sort of humanoid snake woman with a snake-like frill, thick braids and scales around her slitted eyes. It had taken a bit of getting used to but in a world in which thatcher existed, a snake woman didn’t seem that far fetched really. 

I earned our keep by telling stories to the group each night, and somehow, life in this body started to feel normal. Each time I bathed in a river, I felt less self-conscious about my curves. Soon, I was washing as if it were totally normal. I gave no more thought to running a hand down my breasts than I did washing my hair. Ada’s body was starting to feel less and less like Ada’s body and more like mine. The comfort made me uneasy. I didn’t want to get used to this. I wanted my old life, with my beans and toast and a nice publishing job. Didn’t I?

“Mama, what language is that?” Dellah asked me one evening as we made camp with the caravan. 

She pointed at the notebook, I’d almost filled it now with everything from notes about currency to the various different races I had met. As well as my futile attempts to translate the written languages I’d come across. 

“It’s my own. I made it up.” I lied. 

“Why not just write in Elvish?”

“I…prefer this. Can you write in Elvish?”

Dellah gave me a strange look and laughed.

“Of course I can! You taught me years ago!”

“Show me, write your name.”

Dellah shrugged and grabbed a stick, carving a set of curving letters into the ground. I tried to make sense of them, but they may as well have been chicken scratch. 

“Good job.” I smiled, “Just testing you.”

Dellah’s eyes narrowed for a moment and she suddenly looked so much older. I remember Linda, back in my old life, she would always say her kids were smarter than she thought. They pick up on more than you think, she would insist. Right now, Dellah was looking at me and seemed far older than eight. 

“Mama…I just wrote your name.”

“Oh.”

“Mama, can’t you read?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, then shook my head. There was no point hiding it. 

“But, you taught me! How could you forget?” 

A strange feeling tightened in my stomach, a strange mix of guilt and…something else I couldn’t quite place. I couldn't tell Dellah I wasn't really her mother, it would break her heart. There was also a part of me, a small part I was trying to deny, that I wanted to be. I wanted to be the woman who taught her how to read, the one who raised her. 

In truth, I had only known this girl a little over a month, and in that time, she had wormed her way into my heart. It was wrong, in some ways, I really was a demon possessing her mother. I thought back to the twisted faces of the other elves back in the village, their eyes full of hate as they accused me of stealing away one of their own. If Dellah looked at me like that…I didn't think I could bear it. 

“The fever took some things from me.” I lied, feeling guilty even as I did it. “I forgot some things.”

“Like how to braid my hair?”

“...yes.”

Dellah ran her fingers through the long locks and sighed. It had been hard to keep knots out of even travelling with the caravan. More than once, I’d seen her eyeing women with their hair done up in elaborate buns or braids, but she’d not said anything until now. 

“If your hair bothers you, I could cut it short like mine.” I offered, “Shoulder length is still very pretty.” 

“No!” Dellah cried. “Cutting hair is…I want my hair long.”

I remembered how she gasped when I cut my hair short back in the woods and felt a stone form in my gut. Now that I thought about it, all the elves back in the village had long hair, so did all the ones we’d passed on the road. 

“That’s alright, you go get some sleep. I am just going to talk to the caravan leader for a moment.”

I settled Dellah down on her bedroll and waited a minute before approaching the Hissant. 

“Everything alright with your girl?” She hissed. “Sssssshe sssseems upset.”

“Do you do your braids?” I asked, cutting right to the chase. The snake woman blinked in surprise and nodded. 

“Can you teach me?”

“You cannot braid?”

“Obviously not, or I wouldn’t be asking you, would I?”

“No need to sssssnap. I have jusssst never met a wood elf who could not braid. Or hassssss short hair.”

“I’m not a normal wood elf,” I muttered. “Now, please, teach me how.”

“Alright.”

It took longer than expected. Finally, I understood why women took so long to do their hair in the morning. Something as simple as a braid took much longer than I thought and my fingers were stiff and didn’t want to cooperate. I practised on myself, but it was impossible without the proper length, so Nia undid a few of her own to let me practice. 

“What did you do?” Nia asked quietly after a moment. 

“What do you mean?”

“To get your haircut, that isssss only done if a wood elf has brought sssssshame to themselvesssss is it not?”

I paused; if that was the case no wonder Dellah didn’t want her hair cut. Had I been telling her I was disappointed in her by even suggesting it? The idea made me sick. It explained her words to me afterwards as well. 

“Sssorry. I pry.”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”

We finished our lesson, and I returned to Dellah. As I laid down next to her in my own bedroll, I found it impossible to sleep. I was getting so attached to her and to this life that I wasn't sure what I wanted anymore. I tried to shake my head free of such thoughts. We were finding her father, and I was going home—end of story. Besides, if Dellah knew the truth, she wouldn’t want me around anyway, I was sure. 

I tried not to think about how much that hurt.