Reborn as an Elven Mother - Chapter 6

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 6

I woke to the sharp beeping of my alarm and confusion. It had been months since I’d heard that sound, I barely even recognised it. Groggily, I rubbed at my face and froze as I felt the sharp scrape of stubble against my palm. Instantly, I was awake and in a familiar, cold apartment. 

“What…”

My phone was buzzing, several emails from work waiting to be read, and a cold plate of beans on toast rested, half eaten, next to my bed.

“No…no, no, no!”

I jumped to my feet and wobbled as I instinctually compensated for curves and weight that were no longer there. My chest was flat, my hair short and greasy from too much gel, and I could hear the hum of busy city traffic several floors down. 

“Dellah?!” I cried, running from room to room, but of course, she wasn’t there. I was back in my old male life, with nobody to greet me with a smile in the morning. No Lewin to talk to, no smell of Earth or soft dress to greet me. My daughter was gone; and my life felt empty. Worst of all was the crushing guilt that descended over me; I’d broken my promise. I’d left Dellah. She needed me. I couldn’t just leave her. But I had; my daughter was gone….gone…gone…

“Mama?”

My eyes snapped open, and I shot up, chest heaving with a familiar weight. Dellah looked over me with a furrowed brow, and I could see morning light shimmering off her braids.

“You were having a bad dream.” She said,

A dream, it had just been a dream. I was home, my daughter was here, and everything was fine. Letting out a shaky breath I wrapped Dellah up in my arms, holding her tight. 

“I love you,” I whispered. “I don’t say that enough…”

“I love you too, Mama…but I can’t breathe!”

“Sorry!”

She giggled, snuggling under my chin for a second after I let go before finally getting up herself. 

“Where’s your Papa?”

“House hunting.”

“At this hour?”

“He left ages ago when the sun was just rising; one of his bird friends had a message or something. I’m not so good at talking to animals yet, but I think they said something about a place we could afford so I can have my own room.”

“It would be nice not to sleep in the kitchen.” 

I got myself up and dressed while Dellah organised her breakfast. I took a second to appreciate the small moments: the sound of her cleaning her bowl, the soft footsteps on the wooden floor, the rumble of carriages on cobblestones outside. It was good to be home. 

“I’m heading off, Mama!”

“Are you sure you want to walk by yourself, I could come with you.”

“I can handle it!” Dellah insisted, waving her hands and making her bag float across the room. 

“Show off!” I teased, and she stuck her tongue out before heading out the door. 

She had only just turned nine, but I could feel the teen years coming all the faster. If only they had parenting books in this world, but perhaps that was a bit too modern. Not that I could read one, even if I found it. My literacy was improving every day, but I was still slower than most. Lewin was a patient teacher and a good man. That strange attraction between us was still there, but I didn’t know how to proceed and apparently neither did he. 

“Did I miss Dellah?” 

“Afraid so.”

He wandered in and sighed.

“That place was a bust, but my trip wasn’t a total waste.”

He held out an old-looking scroll and gently unfurled it on the table. I felt my eyes grow wide.

“That’s…English!”

“Yes! I got permission from one of the archmages at the Historical Academy to let me borrow it for translation. Of course, I have a secret weapon.”
 He winked, and I giggled, leaning over the scroll in fascination.

“What does it say?” Lewin asked, bouncing on his toes the same way our daughter did when she got excited. 

Even in English, it was hard to make out, the letters were curved and faded by time, and written with so much purple prose it made my head spin. 

“It’s a historical record,” I muttered. “Talking about…a war over some sort of crystal? Or a gemstone of…astral essence?”

“Fascinating…” Lewin whispered.

“Do you know what that means?”

“Not a clue.”

I snorted, and we both laughed. 

“But at least I can look into it now.” He grinned. “Perhaps I could even start working at the Historical Academy myself as a researcher. If we make a few white lies about your credentials, you could too.”

“Me? A researcher?”

“Why not? You can reach the language of the ancients, nobody is going to care who you were before once that comes out. You just read something that would take us months to decipher.” 

The idea of doing something so… prestigious made my heart flutter in excitement. It wasn't publishing, but it did get back to the heart of what drove me there in the first place; a love of reading. To be able to read again, even this strange English adjacent poetry-styled stuff would be fun. 

“You’re sure you’ll be able to convince them to let a total nobody near such important artifacts?”

Lewin just winked.

“I can be very persuasive.”

~

Life was simple and happy now, the days passed easily. I was walking through the market, ready to head home and start making dinner when I saw it. Three red circles overlapping each other. I stood, frozen in shock, at the banner hanging above a small stage that had been erected. There were priestesses, just like the one from my old village, preaching about the dangers of demon possession. Most people walked by without giving them heed, but a handful were listening and looked concerned. I felt something knock against my foot and looked down to see I’d dropped the basket, our bread was lying on the dirty cobbles, but I didn’t care. I grabbed it and fled back home, heart in my throat. 

Lewin looked up brightly as I came in.

“Hey! I was just talking to a director at the…what’s wrong?”

His smile dropped, and he was instantly at my side, holding my shoulders gently as I tried to control my breathing. 

“Wood elf priestess…” I muttered. “Here.”

Lewin led me to the table and sat me down. At some point, he thrust a cup of warm tea into my hands, and I drank it while recounting what I saw. 

“What if Jenavelle is with them? What if we get run out of town because people think I am some sort of demon?”

“Ada, that isn’t going to happen. This isn't some back-of-the-woods village; this is Ruler’s Rest.” He said softly. “Even if they somehow could turn thousands of people against you, I wouldn’t let anybody lay a finger on you or Dellah. Understand?”

He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced me to meet his eye; his gaze was filled with fire and determination. For a second, I genuinely believed he could take down a crowd of thousands. At the very least, I knew he meant what he said. 

“Don’t worry so much. I can’t stand to see you distressed,” he muttered.

He was so close I could feel his breath brushing my lips; he was still holding my chin, and my heart began to beat faster. Suddenly, I was fourteen years old, hiding behind the bike sheds with a girl from the class across the hall, fumbling my way through my first kiss. I’d been a boy then. Male. Lewin knew that he knew I had Ada’s body, but did that make me a woman? Did being a mother and enjoying this new body and the dresses and duties that came with it make me a woman? Was that enough? My hesitation didn't go unnoticed and Lewin let me go, moving back into his own chair only a foot away, and yet it felt like there was suddenly an ocean between us. 

“How about some good news?” He said, clearing his throat. “I got you a job.”

“A job?”

“When I told the archmage I had an elf who could read ancient, he just about fell over offering you a position translating artifacts. And, of course, he wants me to assist with the more magical aspects of what you might read.”

“So we’ll be working together? You won’t be going on any dangerous mercenary missions?” 

Lewin shook his head, and I breathed a sigh of relief I didn’t realise I was holding. 

“Good, It’ll be nice to have you around more often…for Dellah’s sake. We did come all this way so she could have a father after all.”

“Of course.” 

Silence hung for a moment, and Lewin opened and closed his mouth a few times before speaking. 

“Ada…I know that you’re not…I know you’re a different person to the one you look like but…”

He ran his hands through his hair, and I couldn’t help but giggle a little; he was so sweet when he got flustered.

“What I mean to say is, I’m Dellah’s father. You’re her mother…what are we?”

I bit my lip; I didn't know how to answer that question.

“Considering the circumstances, I thought perhaps we were friends, raising a child together.”

“I think we were…for a while.”

“And now?”

His voice was quiet but hopeful. 

“I…I don’t know.” I whispered. “I know I care about you, I know these feelings I have aren’t platonic, but…I don't even know who I am anymore, Lewin. Life has been so confusing these last few months. It’s not even been a year since I…died.”

“I can’t pretend to understand how you feel, you said it was confusing, but…I’m not confused, Ada.” Lewin replied. “I know how I feel about you, and it isn’t platonic.”

He reached out to me again, holding both my hands in his.

“I will never force you into anything,” he whispered. “Even if you only ever want to be friends, I will always be here for you, but if you want me to be something more…I’d like that very much, Ada.”

“You don’t care that I am essentially a being from another reality? A male being?”

“You’re you, Ada. I never got to know the other woman; we fell into bed one night after too much apple wine, and Dellah came of it. As far as I am concerned, you’re the only Ada I have truly known. I don’t care who you were before, if anything, I respect how much you’ve been through and how you’re such a good mother despite it.”

His eyes sparkled as he spoke, and I felt frozen in place. I’d never had anybody look at me with such devotion, such kindness. It was overwhelming, and yet, at the same time, so many things became clear. Slowly, I stepped forward and took a deep breath before taking that final step into Lewin’s space. I stared back into his eyes for a beat before letting my eyelids flutter closed as I pressed our lips together. It was a chaste kiss and was over quickly, but it held more weight than any other kiss in my life. 

“I don’t know what we are,” I whispered as he broke apart, staying close enough to press our foreheads together. “But as I figure myself out, maybe I can figure this out as well.”

“I’ll wait,” Lewin replied quietly. “As long as it takes.”

And I believed him.

~

“Can’t I come to work with you?”

“I’ve just started, I don’t think I should be asking for special treatment just yet, even if I am the only one who can read Ancient.” I chuckled. “Besides, you have school. You’re not going to master that light spell by skipping days.”

Dellah pouted; she was holding my hand again after weeks of insisting she could walk to school alone. I knew something was up, but I also knew just coming out and asking wouldn’t get me anywhere. As we approached the school, I felt her grip tighten and her pace slow just a little. I could tell by the look on her face she was hoping I wouldn’t notice.

“Dellah, is somebody at school giving you trouble?” I tried. “All of a sudden you don’t seem so keen on going.”

“Well…”

  She didn’t continue, instead just sucked in a sharp breath as we turned the corner, and I could instantly see why. A familiar set of priestesses’ were standing at the gate, warm smiles on their faces as they spoke to the children and handed out printed leaflets.

“Protect yourself.” They urged. “Demon possessions are becoming all the more common. Us wood elves can tell, if you suspect you bring them to us.”

“I saw Jenavelle the other day,” Dellah whispered. “She visited with them, I haven’t seen her since, but…”

“Did she see you?”

I gripped Dellah’s shoulders tight, and she shook her head.

“Maybe you should come with me to work after all.”

Her grip tightened further. I could see her knuckles turning white, and my palm started to ache, but I didn't care. 

“I’d like that, Mama.”

~

The Historical Academy was one of the fanciest places I had ever been, my first life included. The marble floors sparkled with intricate painted designs, the walls were high, polished stone, and each room was furnished with rich wooden furniture and paintings whose frames probably cost more than a year's rent for our tiny home. When Lewin had first brought me here, I’d felt like a hick surrounded by so much finery, even in my new dress. Even after a few weeks, I wasn't fully used to it. Dellah got some strange looks from the scholar we passed, but thankfully, nobody said a word. 

“Papa works here?” She whispered, and I nodded. 

“At least for now, when they found out I could read ancient, they were eager to keep us happy.”

“Do you think you’re an ancient?” Dellah said in a hushed tone as we approached the little study we’d been assigned. “Like, are you from the past and only just now got reborn?”

He giggled and shook my head.

“My world had no magic and was…well, we weren’t using horses and carts anymore, let’s just say that.”

Lewin was bent over the desk when we walked in and looked up in delight as Dellah grinned at him.

“Playing hooky?”

“Something like that.”

His eyes narrowed, and he looked at me, I shook my head subtly; we’d discuss it later. 

“What is it today?”

“More of those scrolls, we’re so close to understanding the fall of ancient civilisation. A bit more, and we could write the paper of the century!”
 “You could, more like. I keep getting my letters mixed up.”

“You’ll get there.”

He rested his hand on my hip for just a moment, and I leaned in closer, only for him to move away just as quickly. I swallowed and focused on the scrolls in front of me. Lewin had drawn out a map of the area, showing where each one was found. The landmasses were strangers to me, but at least I could make myself useful by reading the text. 

So far, everything I’d managed to decipher spoke of a schism several thousand years ago, the discovery of some sort of magical crystal had split ancient civilisation in two and a war over its power had wiped them out almost completely. 

“Here,” I pointed down to a section of writing. “It says here one said used the crystal’s power and…disappeared? They believed using it would take them to the realm of the dead…”

“Why would anybody want to do that?” Dellah shuddered. 

“I think the idea was to have a portal to the afterlife so that death was meaningless,” I muttered. “Before it was used, people spoke about strange beings inhabiting the bodies of those who died natural deaths young in life…”

“That sounds like you, Mama!” Dellah cried. 

“Perhaps…”Lewin said quietly. “The place they saw was your reality, a sort of bridge between two different worlds.”

“They weren't seeing the afterlife, they were seeing Earth…” I realised. “And when they used it, they got whisked away to my world thousands of years in the past.”

“Which explains why your language is so similar!” Lewin jumped in excitement. “This is incredible, and perhaps there is some sort of residual bridge between our planes of existence, these ‘demon’ possessions that happen from time to time, they are just souls from your world mixing with ours! Perhaps that rift is getting bigger and that explains the increased number of cases in the last few years!”

Lewin was pacing back and forth now, a slightly mad smile on his face. 

“And God knows there must be more cases than people let on, considering how they are normally treated this is…this is the find of the century. Ada! You’re incredible!”

Suddenly, he scooped me up in his arms, holding me tight as he spun me around. His passion was infectious, and I couldn't help but laugh as he tightened his grip and lifted me high. It was only a theory, but I didn't care, my place in this new life suddenly made sense, and it was all thanks to meeting Lewin. 

His eyes were full of that wonder all over again, and my heart began to beat faster in my chest. I didn't hesitate this time, the moment my toes touched the ground, I leaned in and pressed our lips together in a deep kiss. Our lips parted, and after a moment's hesitation, Lewin’s hand cradled the back of my head, and his lips fully parted. It was perfect, my whole body felt like it was buzzing and alive, and sparks were flying between us in a way I’d never experienced. For a few moments, we were the only two people in the world. And then;

“Ewwwwwww!”

We broke apart with breathy laughter as Dellah made a face.

“Is this what you guys do all day? Kiss? Gross!”

“You might not find it so gross in a few years, sweetheart.” I teased, but Lewin shook his head.

“No, your Mama is wrong. Kissing is gross, you’re not kissing anybody till you’re twenty, you hear that, Dellah?”

I snorted and Lewin gave me another playful kiss on the cheek. Dellah pretended to be sick, and I rolled my eyes. A second ago, we’d been revealing some of this world's most hidden history, and now the scene was so domestic. It should have given me whiplash, but instead, it felt right. 

I ran my hand over the rough paper of the scroll again and felt the joy in the air slowly leech away as I thought back to those red rings of the church. 

“What happens…to the people mistaken for demons?” I asked, Lewin didn't reply, but his silence was all the answer I needed. “They were just people like me. We didn't choose to come here or inhabit these new bodies…”

Lewin’s smile fell, and he took my hand in his. 

“I’ll write up a paper and present it to the historical board. With any luck, in a few months this will all be public knowledge. Any others who wake up in new bodies here might stand a chance at a normal life, like you.”

“You really think people will just change their minds and believe this? Even if we have ‘proof’? And what about anybody who gets reborn in the meantime?”

I wanted to keep going, but I saw Dellah’s face; she was pale, and guilt flooded me. 

“It’s alright, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere, remember? We can keep it a secret.”

“But what about the priestesses?” Dellah whispered. “They’ve come into the city, Jenavelle is here!”

“Then we will stay away from them; you can study here with Papa each day instead of going to school. Maybe in a year or so, if your Papa is right, things won’t be so scary.”

Dellah sniffed.

“Okay, Mama.”

“That’s my girl.”

I held her close, tucking her little head under my chin so that I could see Lewin without Dellah noticing our worried expressions. I just had to hope Lewin was right and our theory was correct.

~

I put my hand out the window and let a snowflake land in the centre of my palm. Our new home had yellow shutters that seemed almost gold against the grey world outside. The changing of the seasons had never meant much to me before, but now they put the passage of time in stark contrast. Midwinter was approaching, in a month or so, the snow would thaw, spring would be here, and I would mark the one year anniversary of arriving and becoming Ada. 

The last few months have been peaceful; Lewin and I have worked on translating more documents, almost all of which further support our theory. Lewin wrote his paper and slowly, the knowledge was trickling down from the wizards and academics to the common people. It wasn't the talk of the town; I didn't even hear it mentioned much, but Jenavelle’s church was slowly becoming a rarer site. Not as rare as I would like, but baby steps are better than nothing at all. 

Warm arms wrapped around my waist and a chest pressed against my back. I smiled, leaning into the embrace and letting Lewin’s hair tickle my sensitive ears. 

“Dellah’s gone to visit the kids down the block.” He whispered. “It’s just us for a while.”

I turned and kissed him slowly, letting the heat from our bodies mingle. I smiled against his lips, ready to return the teasing words, when my ears pricked. I heard a sound that made the blood in my veins turn to ice: Dellah crying out. 

Lewin heard it too, and the mood was instantly changed. Without speaking, we were on our feet, rushing out into the cold without so much as a scarf to keep the chill away. We paused in the cobble street, listening desperately, when suddenly Dellah appeared, running full pelt with a woman in a familiar robe in tow. 

“Mama!” She cried, running straight into my arms. In an instant, Lewin was between us and the priestess, fire burning in his open palm. 

“What is the meaning of this? What sort of person chases a little girl through the streets?” He demanded.

Jenavelle removed her hood, showing her face, and I sneered.

“That woman is not your mother, child.”

“Yes, she is! She’s my Mama!” Dellah cried. “Leave us alone!”

“One of the children at the school mentioned an old classmate who disappeared when we first arrived,” Jenavelle explained as she slowly stalked closer. “When I heard the name, I knew it was you. You may have escaped our village, but more demons appeared in your wake, and we knew this problem had to be taken seriously.”

“That’s why you’re here,” I muttered. “I’m not a demon, and neither are any of those people!”

“And you think I’ll believe those lies?” Jenavelle hissed. “I’ve heard the rumours that mysteriously some wood elf nobody found proof that demons are actually beings from another world? Innocent, happy beings who just so happen to steal the bodies of the dead! Oh, and this wood elf just so happens to have the ability to read the ancient texts, her only proof, which almost nobody can corroborate?” 

I grit my teeth; when she put it like that, I could see why my words were meaningless. 

“I will only say this once,” Lewin said seriously, fire in his hand flaring. “Leave my family alone.”

“If she’d disappeared into obscurity, maybe I could,” Jenavelle replied. “But she didn't, she's clearing the way for a demonic invasion, and my church are the only people who can stop them!”

Golden, angelic light began to ripple in her hands, and I wrapped myself around Dellah protectively. If nothing else, that bitch would never hurt her. 

“Enough!”

Lewin’s fire took on a life of its own, turning blue with heat and finally stopping Jenavelle in her tracks. 

“You will not hurt my wife, or my daughter, or anybody else if I have anything to say about it. If you take one step closer, I will unleash the full force of my magic against you and face the consequences.”

“Lewin!” I cried. “She’s not worth being sent to prison over!”

“Your life is.” 

He said it without hesitation and with such conviction it took my breath away. For a second, he glanced over his shoulder and gave me that trademark soft smile. It was only a second, but a second was all Jenavelle needed to gather her own magical energy up, ready to fling in our direction. Only for the golden light to be snuffed out like a candle flame. 

“What?” She whispered. “How…?”

“Counterspell.”

Dellah said from my arms; I was so focused on Lewin I hadn’t seen her throw her hands up. She looked exhausted, but there was a familiar fire in her eyes. 

“And I can do it again, so you’ll never hurt my Mama or Papa!” She cried. 

People were gathering around us now, drawn by the glow of Lewin’s blue fire. Jenavelle hissed, gathering up more energy in her arms, ready to throw a bolt only for it to fizzle as soon as it left her hands, this time, it was Lewin’s doing. 

“That priestess attacked them!”

“I saw it!”

“Who started it?”

“The wood elf!”

“Which one?”

“That red rings lady, she’s trying to kill a kid! Somebody get the guard!”

Jenavelle was looking around nervously now as a city guard in leather armour began hurrying toward us. I wrapped Dellah protectively in my arms; she was trembling from exhaustion, and I stroked her hair.

“It’s alright, sweetheart. You were so brave, no more spells now, alright?”

She sniffled against my chest, and I held her close as Jenavelle ranted and raved while the guards took her into custody. Lewin kept himself between us and her, just to be safe, his eyes blazing with anger before he turned back to us, and they instantly softened. 

“Oh, Dellah, my sweet, brave girl.” he cooed, “Well done.”

I watched as Jenavelle glared at us while the guards put her in cuffs. She hadn’t actually hurt us, and with her clout in the church, she would be out soon. But at least this might prevent her from coming at us so directly. I kissed Dellah’s forehead and felt a snowflake melt between us. 

“Come on, let’s go home.”

~

One of the things Dellah loved so much about our new home in the upper city was that she had her own room. For the first time, she had four walls that were entirely her own. She loved decorating it, making it her own little space, but tonight, she refused to sleep anywhere but our bed. It took an hour of soft assurances and hair stroking before she finally fell asleep curled up against my side. Lewin sat on the side of our bed watching us, candlelight reflecting off his glasses, making his expression unreadable. 

“She’ll try again,” I said after a moment. 

“I know.”

“I won’t put Dellah at risk, but…I don’t want her to live in fear, never having a normal life where she can have friends without worrying if one might be a spy for that damn church.”

“I know.”

“So what do we do?” I threw up a hand in defeat. “This is all my fault…”

“No, it’s not,” Lewin said gently, sliding closer to me. “You didn't choose this life, but you’ve made the best of it. It’s not your fault you woke up in a backwater village with a completely psychotic priestess.”

I snorted, and Lewin grinned.

“There’s the smile I love,” he whispered, taking my chin in my hand and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. “And I do love you, Ada.”

He’d never said that before. After that kiss in the archives things had sort of just fallen into place. We didn't put a label on anything, or even really discuss it. Hell, all we’d done was kiss and hold one another despite my body aching for more sometimes. I knew Lewin was waiting for me to make the first move in that regard and as deep as my feelings for him were, I felt frozen at that final step. Not that it was important right now. Dellah was, Jenavelle was. 

“Why don’t we go adventuring?” Lewin said after a moment. “You, me and Dellah.”

“You mean mercenary work? Lewin, I can’t even hold a sword!”

“No, I mean adventuring. Let’s get permission from the Historical Academy to do an archeological dig. We can travel to the ruins of the ancients, you can work, we can explore, teach Dellah about the world.”

“It’ll be dangerous…”

“But no more dangerous than staying here.”

I thought for a moment. Despite everything, I didn’t have a good grasp on this new world yet, and the translations I had been helping with were fascinating. They’d given me a new purpose, and my curiosity as to how I got here was still burning hot despite all we’d found. Travelling and learning more about this new world with my new love…sounded exciting. 

“Dellah did love our travels here, even if they were a little rough.”

“With funding from the Academy we could get a carriage and horse, even pay in advance to research.”

“It wouldn’t last forever.”

“But it would last long enough,” Lewin insisted. “Long enough for Jenavelle and those church crazies to be discredited or our theories to spread. By the time we come back to Ruler’s Rest they might have even moved on. Their Mother Nature worship was always more popular in the more isolated wood elf villages anyway.”

He had a good point; I didn't need to ask Dellah what she thought; she would jump at the chase to go adventuring like her father. I smiled to myself, imagining her traipsing through ruins and riding in the carriage. She’d have the time of her life. It would be the sort of adventure I could never have in my old life. 

Ever since I woke up in this body, I’d been looking for a place I belonged. At first, I thought that meant going back to my old life, then settling in Ruler’s Rest, but now another idea occurred. Maybe the place wasn’t so important; perhaps it was the people I was with. So long as I had Lewin and my daughter, home could be anywhere. Wherever they are, that’s where I belong. I grasped Lewin’s hand in my own and squeezed it tight.

“Let’s do it.”

“It’ll take a few days to get everything sorted.” Lewin grinned. “But I think we can handle it.”

“We can handle anything. Dellah will be excited.”

“She’s a special girl,” Lewin said fondly. “I’m so glad you both found me. I don’t want to imagine my life without either of you.” 

I remembered my dream from a few months back, about waking up in my old life with all those modern amenities, and I shuddered. I couldn’t be sure what my future would hold outside the city gates, but so long as I had my family with me, I knew I could handle anything life threw our way. 

The End

And there we have it! Finally, at the end! I really enjoyed writing this more wholesome story and one that was so long! I hope I can do more stuff like this for you all in the future!

Honestly, I'd love to do more fantasy TG's in this universe, maybe some orc women or something.