Raef: Lost

**Content Warning: Some sadness?**

Setting: ~ 323 years before the campaign.

\_\_\_

Wind whipped his face, freezing his tears as they fell.  He whimpered from the pain. He was so cold and his wrist ached with every moment that passed, but he didn't dare look at it.  He had fallen several days back, felt the snap, and knew what happened; he didn't need to look to know.

Raef wiped at his face, sniffing.  He just wanted to go home, but he couldn't find the way back.  He was just supposed to've gone on a walk to get away from his mom and his dad.  Instead he had gotten lost in the frozen forest. Now he didn't know where he was.  All he knew was was that he was hungry and cold and thirsty; he had resorted to melting snow to drink but that hadn't done anything to slake the thirst.

“Are you...lost?”

He froze, not certain if he had heard the halting Elvish.  He turned slowly and saw a large woman standing there wearing layers of furs and leather.  He sniffled and nodded.

“Come on, *yakiri*.” The woman held out a gloved hand. “Camp not far.”

“'Kay.” Raef stumbled forward and took the offered hand.  He smiled happily at the woman, the tears starting anew. Someone had found him.  He was safe.

\_\_

The little elfling had stepped on a twig, the crack resounding through the air and startling Jade, nearly making her drop the skinned the rabbit.  She quickly packed the animal away, getting to her feet.

Distantly she heard sniffling and whimpering.  It didn't sound like an animal.

When she finally saw the noisemaker, she frowned.  Alabaster was a week from where her family was camped out yet there was an elfling stumbling through the cold.  His clothes were torn and stained, his skin pale and lips turning blue.

She knew she should let him wander, that going to him could be dangerous, but he stumbled again and began to cry.  It was in that moment she made up her mind and approached him.

He took her hand, smiling up at her through the tears and grime.  She smiled back as she led him back towards camp.

Along the way his steps began to faltered so she picked him up.  He was terribly thin and small within her embrace. Elves were always small, but he seemed particularly so.  He shivered against her and wept into her shoulder until sleep took him.

\_\_

“*What did you do?!*”

“*I found him!*”

“*He's an elfling!*” Rhukk glared at Jade. “*This is dangerous!*”

*“He's just a child!  I couldn't leave him!*” Jade glanced towards the tent where she had laid the elf down to sleep.  She could tend to his wrist and other ailments when he woke up. “*We've worked with elves before.*”

“*Wood elves!  Not Alabaster elves!*” Rhukk threw up his hands. “*Did you even notice?*”

“*Yes.*”

“*And you still brought him?  Have you even thought what he could do?"*

“*He's a child, Rhukk.  He hasn't learned the hatred of his people yet.*”

\_\_

Raef swung his legs as he sat on the log that served as the seating at the camp, looking around at everything.  It was a small family camp and there were only a couple of tents standing against the wind and snow. A fire burned brightly to chase off what cold it could.

“You are brave, matok,” the woman said as she knelt in front of him.  She smiled up at him reaching out for his injured arm. “This will hurt, but make you better.”

Raef smiled and nodded. “'Kay.” His heart raced and he bit his lower lip nervously.  The skin was mottled purple and blue, the joint swollen and stiff. He watched her nervously as she set to wrapping it.  Pain flared hotly and he jerked back, but left his arm out for her to finish.

He began to cry again.

\_\_

Howls rang out through the woods, jerking Raef from his sleep.  His breath quickened and his pulse fluttered wildly. What was that?

The howls sounded again and he scrambled from his covers, across the tent, and to the young orc sleeping nearby.  He swiftly shook him awake.

Grog mumbled in Orc and waved a hand. “What?” he finally asked in Common.

“Something's outside,” Raef whispered frantically.

“Just wolves. Nothin’ to be 'fraid of.”

Raef bit his lower lip, casting a glance to the opening of the tent.  He jumped when the sound echoed closer. “Can I...can I sleep with you?”

Grog blearily opened an eye before sighing.  He lifted his blankets so Raef could crawl under.  Once the elfling was in he wrapped his arms around him. “Better?”

Raef nodded as he curled up in Grog's embrace. “Better.”

\_\_

“Now...now repeat after me *zoo*--”

“*Don’t teach him that, Grog.*” Rhukk gave his son an exasperated look.

Grog smiled before he looked back at Raef. “Ignore ‘im.  Say '*zoobie'*.”

“*Zoo...bie*.” Raef smiled while Grog roared with laughter. “What’s that mean?”

Grog laughed even harder until Rhukk got up to lightly flick him on the back of the head.

“*What did I tell you?*”

\_\_

“What’s that?”

“What?”

Raef pointed to the white ball that was steadily turning brown as it was turned over the fire. “That.”

Grog stared at him before his face split into a grin. “What the fuck, Raef?  Never seen a *melo* before.”  He scoffed. “Fuck.”

“The fuck’s wrong with you?” Raef retorted in Orc.  He had picked it up easily over the last couple of weeks.

Grog laughed. “Sit the fuck down.” He patted the log. “Fuckin’ elves.”

“Fuckin’ orcs.” Raef rolled his eyes, but he sat down to watch as Grog continued to roast the *melo*.   It nearly caught on fire before Grog finally pulled it from the flames and offered it to him. “What?”

“Eat it.” Grog gestured to the melo, which was starting to sag on the stick.

Raef hesitated before he pulled the sticky food off of the stick and popped it into his mouth, sucking on his fingers to remove the gooey substance.  It was sweet and he smiled widely. “It’s great!”

“Sure is.  Next time Ma-Ma will get chocolate and cinnamon crackers for it.”

\_\_

“I don’t want to go back.”

“Your family needs you, sweetheart, and it’s warm now.”

Raef’s hands balled at his sides, but his defiant gaze dropped to the ground. “...I don’t want to…” How could he tell her his parents didn’t care?  That they had never loved him? That they had never cared for him like she did? Hot tears welled up. “...I don’t want to…”

Jade side and cupped his chin. “Darling, it will be okay.  I promise.” She smiled, brushing away a tear that fallen. “When you’re older, you can find us down south.  Okay?”

Raef sniffed and rubbed at his face before he stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I love you, Ma-Ma Jade.”

“I love you, too, darling.”

\_\_

Alabaster loomed above him as he walked towards its white walls.  The sun shone brightly and sweat danced down the back of his neck, but the city still looked cold to him.  He didn’t want to go back. He wanted to stay with Rhukk, Ma-Ma Jade, and Grog. He had promised to go back to Alabaster, though, so he walked through the gates that admitted to him to the Elven city.

He followed the familiar path to his home.  He raised a hand to knock, paused, and finally struck the wood.  His heart raced far too fast and his stomach twisted painfully. He could still run.  He could still --

-- the door swung open.

His mother shot a look down the street before she dropped to her knees to gather him close. “Oh, Raef!  Where were you? Are you okay?” She nearly wailed, her hands searching his body, and her face was red, but there were no tears.  There never were.

“I’m...I’m fine, mother,” Raef answered, hugging his mother back and patting her back. “Promise I’m fine.”  He stared out over her shoulder.

He wanted to go home.