"Come on Jas…you just have to move out here," Asia whined.
"I want to, I really want to Asia, but…"
"No buts Jas! Felina is not going to wait forever, you know."
"But…but…West Virginia? It's so MUNDANE!" Jas said this last part with a shudder. Asia giggled, she knew the horrors of living in West Virginia. Even though she's only visited there, the people there, while friendly, turned a blind eye to her kind. Which was rather funny, considering the numerous "underground" communities of her kind living there. But she supposed that there was no accounting for the superstitions and prejudices of some people. It was something that she just learned to live with.
"Then don't move out there. Grab Felina and come out here," Asia said reasonably.
"Asia, you just don't 'grab' someone like Felina," Jas said with a slight frown in his voice, "she's…delicate. You can't just 'grab' her like she is some commoner!"
Asia sighed. While she loved Jas dearly, times like this, she had to roll her eyes. But Asia was probably a little immune to Felina's many charms, being female herself. "Whatever Jas. Then delicately grab Felina and move out here with me. We have a really nice community, and ooooh, there are still so much undeveloped forests that we can roam in. Do come, please?"
"Alright! Alright! I'll talk it over with Felina. She's really anxious to get me out to West Virginia. Her family is all there. She has such deep ties to her community. I don't think she'll want to go."
"Did I mention the better Internet connection we have out here? DSL lines and everything!" Asia cajoled, playing her trump card. She knew how addicted both Felina and Jas were to the Internet. Not that she wasn't herself.
"You are insane Asia," Jas laughed, "alright already. I said I would talk with Felina. I'll let you know, all right?"
Asia smiled as she hung up the phone. She ran her small white hand through her long silky hair and leaned back into the soft downy couch with a giggle. Jas could be so silly sometimes. It must be the California air. She couldn't understand how anyone live in that concrete and silicon world without becoming damaged and warped with the Steel Sickness, like some of her relatives in New York had become. As it was, with the cities growing so large, she sometimes felt little twinges and longing for the cool forest air and soft mossy floors.
But she couldn't just hide away. It was her people's reluctance to blend into the community that often caused trouble. They could no longer afford to be standoffish and refuse to blend with humans any longer. As it was, they very rarely noticed her differences anymore.
Well, at least, when she's careful and remember to hide her gossamer wings. The sight of a barely five foot tall woman, with long white hair and large, slanted eyes still causes a double take sometimes. But the wings…well, the first time she forgot to hide her wings under her sweatshirt, she nearly caused a panic. Luckily, it was close enough to Halloween that she laughed it off as a costume.
Jas and Felina had it so easy! As elves, the only thing they had to worry about were their ears! Not bothersome things like wings! Although, she did have it pretty good. At least she wasn't a troll like Gloria, she thought. Hairy and with a tail! How does Gloria do it?
In her musings on Gloria's decided hairiness, and Jas's dilemma, Asia didn't notice the time until the phone rang loudly. Guiltily Asia picked up the phone.
"Hello? Felina! How great it is to hear from you!"
"Don't give me that you little minx! Where are you? You're supposed to be online already! You were daydreaming again, weren't you?"
"N-n-no," Asia stammered, her mind racing for an excuse, "I just got off the phone with Jas…"
At the mention of Jas's name, Felina just about melted.
"Jas? What did he want? He's not having second thoughts about moving out here, is he?"
"Oh, no! He's still moving, but…"
"But?" Felina's voice went shrill. For a serene elven princess, she could get rather bossy, Asia thought, stifling a giggle.
"But…it's West Virginia!"
"And what is wrong with West Virginia? Almost everyone here has little charms and hexes and a good deal still believe in the Fair Folk! That's better then Maryland with your steel buildings and asphalt highways!"
"I live in the suburbs. There is hardly any steel now…everything is made from aluminum, and the humans here are nice."
"Asia, there are times when I think that you're infected with Steel Sickness!"
"I'm not. It's just that we're blending easily with the humans. Isn't that better then living in hidden communities and coves?"
"Come now, don't fool yourself Asia. The humans don't accept you. How can they? They don't even know what we are! You really need to come back to the forests and get back in touch with the earth."
"I suppose you're right Felina, but we're making a lot of headway. If only you'll come out here, you'll see how nice it is."
"And live in those concrete coffins? I rather not. I'm glad that Jas will be coming out here. It's obvious that the both of you have lived away from the nurturing and calming influence of nature for far too long," Felina's voice softened, "I know that what you and Jas and the rest of you are doing is important. But don't let it become more important then yourselves. I care for you all too much for you to fall into the dementia of the Steel Sickness."
"I won't Felina," Asia said, feeling warm and well loved in Felina's concern. She could see why Jas was so head in love with her. Felina was really such a sweet and caring person, but she really does need to visit the Outside. Being connected through the ELVENet just wasn't enough. "You know I worry about you too. You need to get out more."
Felina laughed, "you have your duties, and I have mine. I want to…but the community here needs me, plus, with my new little one…well, I have to be doubly careful."
Asia smiled. She would get Jas to bring Felina out here. Felina was just about head over heels gone about Jas as Jas was about her. It was a good thing that she didn't have to see too much of the mushiness. Asia was all for romance, but there was a limit to what she could tolerate before she felt an urgent need to find a quiet corner of her garden and retch.
Jas was oblivious to the beaming, happy crowd. He was only aware of the glowing, lithe figure of his beloved, beside him. After nearly three months of nagging not only from Felina, but her anxious friends and family as well, he finally packed up his things and moved out to be with her. When they saw his cool, sleek, cobolt blue Cobra, they were rather taken aback, but once he stepped out, and Felina rushed into his arms, everything was right again.
"I'm so glad you're here, darling," she whispered into his ears. "I want us to be alone, but…"
"I understand," Jas smiled, "they want to make sure that I'm the proper consort for their beloved princess." At that Felina blushed, and Jas's heart thumped.
"Here we are!" announced the stocky little troll that was proudly leading the procession. There hasn't been so much fervor in the Glen since…well, since never! That he was leading beloved Felina's chosen one…well, he was just about to burst with pride.
"All this?" Jas said in wonderment. The Glen was on the steep side of the tallest mountain in West Virginia that made up the Appalachians. It was deep into the forest, and the Glen was a protected by a special copse of trees that blocked a straight view of the Glen. But once he was allowed past the copse, the Glen, in all of it's natural beauty enchanted him. The Glen was made up of entirely of trees. Each tree was different, depending on the personality and preference of the resident.
Jas had never seen such majestic trees, and once he was told that the folk of the Glen lived in and on top of these trees, Jas was immediately thrilled by the romance of it all.
Naturally, it was inaccessible by car, so he had to leave the Cobra and most of his belongings back at the road. He didn't mind. What were books and clothes, when he was with his soul mate? He immediately picked out the tree which Felina had to live in. It was a tall, graceful weeping willow, near a deep creek that burbled cheerfully at him. Felina smiled and took him to her tree, and showed him the tiny footholds that ran up the willow. He climbed up the tree, after Felina, his heart lighter then the clouds. Once up into the tree, he came to an elegantly designed "nest" that incorporated and twisted the branches of the tree, with more branches and leaves creating a roof, yet allowing the brilliant sunshine in.
Jas was simply delighted! The nest was soft and after the first few trembling steps, he felt comfortable enough to look around. The area that he stood was small, but cozy, with some books lining the base, and computer terminal along the side. A curtain of leaves separated this room from what he knew instinctively was the bedroom.
"And this is Moon," Felina said, reemerging from the bedroom with a fat, burbling baby in her arms.
"She's beautiful, like her mother," Jas said, cooing at the baby. Suddenly, Moon scrunched up her face, as if to wail, then turning to Jas, promptly threw up all over him. Jas looked at Felina horrifically. Felina just laughed.
"Oh Jas," she said between peals of laughter, "your face!" Jas couldn't but help feel joy at Felina's mirth and he too joined in, laughing.
"I suppose it's good that there is a creek right by your tree. I see that I'm going to be needing it."
"She's normally not so fretful," Felina said, moving Moon to one arm, so she could get a rag to wipe the worse of it off of Jas, "but with the excitement and everything…"
Jas nodded. "Don't worry, my love, I understand. Let me just go and clean up."
Once Jas got back down the tree, which was not nearly as easy as it was going up, since he couldn't see the footholds, several times slipping down the bark, scraping his arms and legs, he started to strip off his shirt to clean himself off in the creek.
It was freezing! Jas, living in Los Angeles, was used to the warm ocean and the hot beaches. He did not know how the brook could be so cold and not be frozen over! He was going to have to ask Felicia where was the bathhouse. Obviously, bathing in a creek was a lot more romantic in the books then in reality. Jas almost laughed out loud. Here he was, an elf complaining about romance! Maybe this was a good idea, to live in West Virginia. It was obvious that he needed to get back in touch with his elfenhood.
"I'm so sorry, I should have warned you that it comes from the snow runoff," Felicia said laughingly from the bank of the creek, holding out a large soft fleece for him.
"Brrr! It's cold!" Jas shivered, "I'm afraid I'm a bathhouse type of elf…"
"Bathhouse?"
"Yes, a bathhouse. I'm too used to my hot bathes and saunas, I guess."
"What bathhouse?"
"You…you…you don't have a bathhouse?" Jas said, visions of a very frozen elf came to mind, "then how do you bathe?"
"Here. In the creek, silly!"
Jas was going to protest, but one look into Felina's adoring eyes, he promptly forgot about his cold bath.
"Come, everyone wants to meet you," Felina said, taking his hand and leading him toward the crowd of fairies, elves, dwarves, brownies and other Fair Folk that was carrying something very large and very blue…
"MY CAR!" Jas shouted, running toward the throng. Each of the Fair Folk was carrying a piece of his once beautiful and gleaming Cobra. "What are you doing?"
"Are you not pleased?" said the fat little dwarf that had lead him to the Glen earlier, "we knew how much you loved it, so we carried it to the Glen."
"But…but…but…" Jas sputtered, completely speechless from the shock. Felina noticed the look in his eyes, and quickly intervened.
"Isn't it wonderful and thoughtful how everyone is trying to make you feel welcomed," Felina said desperately.
"My…car," Jas mumbled, still in shock.
"I know darling," Felina murmured in his ear, "but it's not like you're going to need it again, right? Besides, Toran and Cammie are really good at putting things back together. You won't even be able to tell the difference."
Jas looked at Felina incredulously. But he nodded and turned to them and gave the group a rather painful smile. "Thank you all. I don't know what to say. That you would do this to me…err…for me…it is…inconceivable…"
If any of the Fair Folk noticed the tears in Jas's eyes, they just chalked it up to him being overcome with emotion, and loved him all the more for it. It is so nice to do things for newcomers. Especially one so sophisticated and worldly as Jas obviously was. Toran and Cammie looked at the parts of Jas's once immaculate car, slightly puzzled. They didn't remember so many parts when they were taking it apart. They shrugged. How hard could it be?
It was fortunate that Jas's attention was distracted by a small pixie child that tugged on Jas's wet and clammy jeans, so that he didn't see Toran and Cammie's puzzled shrug, otherwise, Jas would have broken down and started crying right then and there.
"'suse me," said the little pixie child, her hair a tangled mess, but she smelled cleanly of the forest, "wanna see my flowers?"
Jas smiled as the little girl lead Jas around the maze of trees to a little clearing that was a field of wildflowers.
"She is a protégé," the girl's mother said proudly, "she takes care of this entire field, by herself. She doesn't need any urging or anything. Just knows what to do." Jas nodded appreciatively, and bent down to take a whiff of the fragrant flowers. So used to hothouse flowers of California, he was pleasantly surprised by their delicate perfume. He took a deep breath…then he sneezed! And sneezed again!
Suddenly, his nose was stopped up, and he could feel an itching in his eyes.
"Darling, what is the matter?" said Felina, looking worried.
"I can't believe this!" Jas moaned, "this is unbelievable!"
"What? What is it?"
"Who ever heard of something as ridiculous as this? This is insane!"
"Jas! Jas! What ever is the matter?"
Jas sneezed again and again.
"Who, has ever heard of an elf that is allergic to flowers?"
"I haven't stopped sneezing for a month now," Jas said, between sneezes, "I'm a laughing stock!"
"I'm sure it's not that bad," Asia said, biting her lip, to keep from laughing. She was glad that Jas couldn't see her over the phone, or he would have killed her, "there are things that you can take, you know…"
"I know! I know! But I can't GET to any of these places, because they took apart my car! Weren't you listening? Oh, they put it back together all right…except that half the engine is in the driver's seat, and I can't find the steering wheel!
"Then the other night, I fell out of Felina's tree, right into the creek, when we were sleeping! She doesn't have any walls or anything, and I just rolled right over! And of course, every time I try to get down from that blasted thing, I get another scrape and lose another liter of blood!
"And it's just everyone here! They have no sense of privacy, they go through my stuff, and walk in on Felina and I, and their idea of 'entertainment' is when the rabbits argue! No movies! No bookstores! Nothing! And I don't care what they say, the animals SMELL!
"Then there is that caterwauling they call singing! And everything is done to BANJO music! Banjos! I can't even get a decent radio signal, so I can't get anything in! Just banjos! Banjos, Asia, banjos!"
Asia couldn't hold it in any longer. She laughed so hard that her wings popped out.
"Oh yea, you can laugh," Jas said, almost bitterly, "you don't have to bathe in ice cold water and eat weeds!"
"Weeds?" Asia asked, between giggles, "I think you forgot to tell me about that."
"Yes I did tell you. You've just been too busy laughing to listen!" Jas snapped, "yes I'm eating weeds. It seems that the Glen is friends with all of the forest animals. And naturally, you can't eat your friends…so all I can eat are the weeds!"
"Well, what about lamb? I know that Felina mentioned something about that once…"
"Asia," Jas said, with great patience, "I don't mind eating lamb…it's the…haggis that does me in."
"Haggis?"
"Yes, haggis. It seems that Granny Witherspoon came from Scotland. And her favorite lamb dish is haggis. So that's what we have every night. Haggis. With weeds."
Asia lost it. She fell of the couch, laughing uproariously into the phone. "I can't help but say, I told you so! I told you to come to Maryland, but you refused! I told you that you wouldn't be able to handle it there!"
"Oh Asia, you just don't know! It's horrible! I'm the coldest, sneeziest, hungriest elf in West Virginia! And my car! My beautiful Cobra! I don’t know what to do!"
"Move out here, like you were supposed to in the first place," said Asia, "we're out in the suburbs, so Felina gets to be with her trees, but we're close enough to the city that you won't be deprived."
"No, I think I'm going to stick this out."
"Are you insane? You won't last long enough!"
"You won't understand. It's a matter of pride."
"If you say so, Jas, just know that you always have a place here, if you need it."
"Thanks Asia."
Jas felt a little better after talking with Asia. After venting, he could see that things weren't really that bad. He had Felina by his side, so what is a little cold and allergies? He'll get used to it in time. The important thing was that he was with the one he loved. He could deal with everything else.
"Jas darling, was that Asia?" asked Felina, looking more beautiful then ever.
"Yes, she just wanted to make sure that I was settling in, all right," Jas said with a warm smile, "was there something that you needed, dear heart?"
"Hmmm? Oh yes, Feather and Ripperill want you to go and join them."
"Sure thing! What are they doing?"
"They're going to go bear baiting. It seems that a black bear has just moved into this area and the deer have been complaining…"
Before Felina could even finish her sentence, Jas stood up. For the first time in Felina's life, she was rather indelicately grabbed by Jas, as he bolted out of the Glen, headed for the sanity of Maryland.