Once Upon a Time

“Long and long ago,” began Ashevathallion on a warm Spring morning, “a dragon sat on a mountain and…"

"Is that like 'once upon a time'?” The tall elf paused, then nodded to Calen, who had asked the question while avoiding the leaves his twin brother Conn was trying to stuff down the back of his tunic. Their younger sister Diana busily brushed off the ones that had found their way onto her, and Ashe waited for the mayhem to quiet down. Today had begun like many other walks in the forest with these of his sister's blood, but for some strange reason the Blackthorn children were unusually, well, energetic. When the twins finally ceased fidgeting, he began once more. “Long and long ago, a dragon sat on a mountain and…"

"Was it Asgorath?” Conn asked. “He's a very big dragon."

"No, it wasn't Asgorath. But it was a dragon nearly as large.”

Diana's hand shot up. “Was it a butterfly wanting to be a dragon? Ari told us a story about a butterfly and a dragon and how they switched places. But I forgot the rest.” She turned to look over her shoulder where Ari and their oldest brother Shane was sitting against a tree. Shane was trying very hard to keep a straight face as he avoided seeing Ashe's expression. Ari, for that matter, seemed equally hard put to keep from laughing.

“Let Uncle Ashe tell the story.” The older girl motioned for Diana to turn back around and listen. “We're sorry, Uncle Ashe. Go on, please."

"Thank you, Arista.” He paused, letting the breeze that ruffled the trees have its say before he took a breath and started once more.
“Long and long ago, and once upon a time… a dragon sat on a mountain. As he sat and thought dragon thoughts, a raven flew over head and…"

"Uncle Ashe?"

"What is it Conn?” The half-elf child rose and walked over, crooking a finger until Ashe bent down and the boy whispered in his ear. Ashe sighed, and then motioned Shane over and the two walked off behind a tree. Naturally, Calen, being Conn's twin, had to go as well and followed. A muted giggle came from Arista's direction and Diana busied herself piling wet leaves on the log where the boys had been sitting.

Ashe looked down and watched an ant crawl across one boot tip as he waited. Finally the three boys returned. Ashe regarded the bright cheerful faces of the children before him, murmured something to himself in Sithryn, and in the measured cadences of countless generations of storytellers before him he said... “I think I hear your mother calling.”

A laugh came from the Shane, and Ashe fixed him with a mild look. The twins frowned. “I don't hear her.” Conn nodded in agreement with Calen.

Ashevathallion of Clan Silver Rose drew himself up to his considerable height and motioned the children to start back for home. “I'm an elf; my ears are bigger.”

Sometimes, he reflected as he trailed along behind them, even an elf needs time away from the children.