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I’m proud to say that a human was my father.
The evening rolled along in Elwynn Forest, where the Darkmoon Caravan had settled on the campground designed for the fair outside of Goldshire. With the faire still days away, the Darkmoon set up their tents and attractions, rarely paying any heed to the curious on-lookers that passed by.
“Cristianno!” The female elf called out from her tent, looking for her son. She stopped several who were passing by if they had seen him, but they shook their heads. Walking out of the tent, her flowing skirt dragging behind her in the dirt, as she sought out her son, no longer a small child, but a child who was close to starting his adolescent years. “Cristianno!”
“Maerin, he’s tending the rams,” a human called out. The female elf walked toward the animal pens and noticed her son sitting on the ground, petting the ram and nodding. She smiled and walked slowly toward them.
“Yeah, but if you start fighting with the others, and you lose? Then what? Can’t be a winner all the time, understand?” The boy was speaking seriously and the ram seemed to understand, nodding is head and making a little noise. “I know it’s crap, but you’ll see, Ren. It’ll all work out.”
“Ren butting heads with the other rams again?” Maerin asked with a smile. The boy turned and nodded, his loose ponytail slipping off his shoulder and toward his back. “Come, little one. We need to talk.” Her son jumped off the ground, kissed the ram’s head, and walked toward his mother, holding her hand.
“Cristianno, there’s someone I want you to meet. He should be here soon.”
“He?”
Their footsteps along the dirt path, along with her bangles and jingling bells were the only noises he heard as he waited for his mother’s response.
“A few days ago, I met a gentleman. He came over as I was selling flowers.” Cristianno looked away. He already understood that many of those times she sold flowers, she wasn’t actually “selling flowers,” but he didn’t judge his mother. Gold was sparse and times were hard. Maerin smiled and sighed softly, “He…actually wants to see me again and I want him to meet you.”
“Ma, he’s just going to be like the other…flower buyers.” Cris’ arm was yanked back by his mother, who stopped in front of a vending post.
“Cristianno…”
“I’m sorry, momma.”
She sighed and knelt in front of him. “This one is different. He’s a gentleman. He…he actually bought flowers.” Cristianno’s blue-green eyes looked up at his mother’s smiling face. “He said he’s seen me around here and, do you know how hard it is to find someone who’s genuinely interested in you?” The boy shook is head. “Of course not, dear. I just have a good feeling about this. Please, behave, little one. I left Emii with someone because I wanted him to just meet you, my son. He can meet her later.”
She rose off her knee and continued to walk toward the road. Cristianno grabbed his ponytail and began to chew at the ends, only to be swatted away by his mother. It wasn’t long before a man walked down the road toward them. Cristianno heard his mother’s bells and bangles jingle as she shifted in place and he gazed at the man, a human with dark hair. He wrinkled his nose and whined, “A human?” Maerin’s only reaction was a tug of his arm. He quickly hid behind her.
“Good afternoon, Lady Maerin,” the man said, bowing his head and smiling at her. He took her hand without warning and kissed it. “I won’t lie: I was looking forward to seeing you all day.”
Maerin chuckled and blushed. “As was I. And I wanted to introduce someone to you.” The man lifted his eyebrows inquisitively. “I told you about my special one.”
“Ah of course, my dear.”
“Marcus, this is Cristianno.” She gently reached behind him and tried to push him forward. The boy looked up and nodded.
Marcus extended his right arm and smiled, “Hello, Cristianno.” The boy looked at the hand and back at the man. “A man shakes a hand when it’s extended to him.” Cristianno looked up at his mother, who was smiling down at him. Slowly he reached his hand up to shake the human’s hand. The man’s decently strong grip shocked him and he looked up at him with widened eyes. Both Maerin and Marcus laughed and the boy pulled his hand back.
“Let us go to the tavern and talk. You two can get better acquainted.” Maerin began to take a few steps when Marcus offered his arm to her. She took it and smiled at him silently. Cristianno held his mother’s other hand, looking up at her long hair as it enveloped her entire back. He stuck his free hand in his pocket and hung his own head, his ears wilting slightly.
While at the tavern, Marcus talked about the latest adventure he had dealing with a run in with orcs. “I don’t know if they can ever be allies or not, to be honest,” he said as he took a drink from his ale.
“We’re all creatures of this planet, Marcus,” Maerin softly said.
“Rumor has it that these creatures aren’t. I don’t know. I don’t care as long as they don’t try to kill me, right?” He laughed and gazed into her eyes, causing her to giggle.
“What do you do?” Cristianno asked as he tried to break their eye contact.
Marcus turned to look at the boy and smiled as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m a… merchant. I buy stuff, travel, and deliver them to prospective buyers.” He turned to Maerin and winked at her. She chuckled again.
“Sounds boring.”
“Oh, and what would you like to do one day?”
“I dunno. Maybe be in the Stormwind military and fight stuff.”
Maerin patted her son’s head and smiled, “You don’t even like going into Stormwind, little one.”
“One day I might.”
“Now Maerin, the boy’s right. One day he might, and you, and maybe me.” Marcus looked at her and she smiled back at him, her blue eyes radiating.
“Marcus, you barely know me.”
“When the heart has found its match, one knows.”
Cristianno looked at his mother, whose face was flushing brightly. “What’s wrong, momma?”
“He’s a gentleman, isn’t he, little one.” Cristianno looked at Marcus and shrugged.
“I guess.”
“I’ll tell you what, boy: I’ll take you to Stormwind one day. Just you and me, and I can show you around. You’d like that?”
“Me?” Cristianno turned to look at his mother, who smiled at both of them. “I…guess.”
“As long as he behaves and you don’t get him into trouble.”
“Maerin, do I look like the type who would cause trouble?” Marcus smiled at her and winked, lifting his mug to his lips.
“It depends,” Maerin replied, the grin never leaving her face.
Marcus turned to Cristianno and smiled, “I’ll show you whatever you want, son.”
Cristianno’s ears perked when he heard the word “son.” For a moment, he felt alone in the world with that one word resounding in his head over and over. After a few seconds, he simply nodded silently, a small smile appearing on his face before he buried his face against his mother’s arm.
Maerin noticed his behavior and looked at Marcus with a serene look on her face. “Thank you,” she mouthed at him and Marcus only nodded, reaching for her hand, his thumb gently caressing her knuckles.
And he not only showed me Stormwind, but he taught me that a father could come in any shape and form. I was the son he never had and he was the father I never had. I’m proud to say that a human was my father.
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