The sound of thunder rumbling in the sky was what woke the small child, his large green eyes snapping open only to be filled with fear a second later as he took in his surroundings, rain was pouring from the sky heavily and had already flowed under the shed soaking the earth along with the clothes he wore, he had no idea how long it had been like this but his small body was already being racked with endless shivers.

His teeth chattered in his mouth, his pink lips pursed as he scrambled out from under the shed and moved as fast as he could to the chicken pen, it was a large one and built properly so no water would seep in and kill one of their sources of food, he reached the door and tried to pull it open but it refused to budge, he looked up and to his horror a large lock was hanging from the iron bolt.

He panicked and tried to pull on it but it refused to open and so he whimpered looking around, there was no where else he could hide so the only option was the large house, he ran through the rain as fast as his tiny feet could carry him, when he reached he pounded on the back door but his small hands barely made a sound with the sound of the pouring rain drowning out all his attempts to get attention.

The small boy let out a loud whimper and moved to sit next to the door, the rain was still pouring down on him, washing away the tears that flowed from his eyes, he curled into a small ball putting his face between his legs to block out the rain as his hands were thrown over his head, this was all he could do as he cried through the night.

*

The house mother woke with the sun just as it began to shine through her windows, she had many things to do before the children awoke, today was the day she needed to send her oldest children off to the towns school and she needed to make sure they were well prepared to receive their learning, so with a sigh she got off of her bed, she smiled at the sight of two small elven children sleeping in her bed.

They were moon elves only two summers old who had lost both of their parents, their mother at birth and their father who was a hunter to a beast attack, she pulled the cotton sheet over them and quickly moved to the small basin in the corner of the room, she washed her face and arms, rinsing out her mouth, she pulled her long brown hair into a bun and quickly dawned her clothes and boots before leaving the room.

She peeped into the many rooms where the different aged children were sleeping soundly, she was happy to see the storm didn't bother them, at least she would have to spend much of her coins on medicine for them, she stopped at the small room that cam just before the steps and went inside to check on the small beast child, he was less than a summer and slept like a log only waking to eat or play with one of the older girls who happened to be of his kind.

She checked to make sure no rain had entered the room and his blankets were still warm, when everything appeared to be in order she left the room gently closing the door behind her and headed down to the kitchen, she opened the cupboards and pulled out all she would need to prepare a sturdy breakfast for the older children along with a few jugs of milk for the younger ones, she hummed an old tune as she fired up the stove and threw a few logs in it, she looked at the pile and sighed she needed more, enough to cook both breakfast and lunch.

She placed a few pots of water on the stove and then a small pot with milk to warm it before going to the door in the corner of the kitchen, she opened it and sighed at the sight, the back of the house was slightly flooded and she needed to check on the animals, if any of them died more coins would be taken from her pocket to replace them, as she took a step outside she heard a small thump.

She looked to the side and her eyes squinted when she saw the half breed slumped on the floor still unconscious, what in the God's names was he doing here? She sighed and lightly kicked him with a boot, the child didn't respond so she kicked him again and all she got was a small whimper as the child remained unconscious, she leaned down to shake him awake but when her fingers touched his skin they were yanked back, the child was as cold as the dead.

Her eyes widened as she realized the thing had been out in the yard while the rain had poured to it's hearts content, she had completely forgotten he even existed and as an old habit she had locked the chicken pen, she huffed and took the child into her arms, his pale skin was cold and his body shivered, his dark hair that was almost blue was stuck to his skin and his clothes were soaked, if he died it would spell trouble for her even if he was just a filthy half breed, the Duchess that looked after the small town had a soft spot for his kind.

She hurried into the house stripping the child of his clothes as she went along, his shivering increased and she reluctantly held his small frame to her, damn he was smaller than most of the children that were only three summers old, even some of the girls, she opened the door to the room where the eldest child was sleeping, she tapped his arm and he grumbled as his deep brown eyes opened, she smiled at the sight of her only child looking so innocent.

"Guiren, wake up my son, I need you to get dressed and go into town, there's some things I need you to fetch for mama."

The young cub grumbled but did as he was told, he rubbed his eyes and got up pulling on his clothes and boots, after his mother had hastily left the room, he wondered what was wrong but knew not to keep her waiting because he would need to travel to town and then get back in time to prepare for his school and then board the carriage as to not be left behind.

The house made entered the small room where a tub was waiting, she set the child down in the tub and he curled in on himself, she sighed and ran out the room, when she made it to the kitchen she huffed at the sight of the milk boiling and hastily took it off the stove nearly burning her hands, she moved to the stove and picked up a large pot of hot water and hurried back to the room with the tub, she mixed the water with the tubs of cold water that were sitting around, just as her son entered the room she picked the half breed up and told hims to fill the tub.

When it was finished she told him to wake Da-ye the oldest girl in the house a moon kind sun elf, she would need to start preparing the food while she looked after the child, Guiren nodded and left the room allowing her to focus on the child who she had soaking in the warm water as she held his head up, she poured some of the water over his head and took the bottle of liquid that was used for cleaning the children, and poured it on his head, she scrubbed his dark hair and then his skin, when she was finished she rinsed him up and wrapped him up in a large blanket.

She was in her son's room pulling one of her large wool shirts on the child, when Guirne walked in holding a piece of parchment and something to write with, as she tucked the child in she called out a list of medicine for him to get and then retried a pouch of copper coins from the opening in her dress, she handed it to him and watched him leave before checking on the child, his skin was now hot to the touch and he was sweating as he let out a small shiver every few minutes.

She got up and made her way back to the kitchen, the elven girl was standing at the counter quickly chopping through vegetables and provision while a broth was already heating on the stove with flicks of meat in it, she told the girl good morning and received a bright smile, getting a cup she poured out of some cool water and then filled a wooden bowl with the broth then got a spoon and went back to the room.

She held the child's head up and placed the spoon that was filled with broth to his mouth, she poured it in and waited only to have it run out his mouth and down the front of his chin, she suspected as much, he may have spent the whole night in the rain, so he would be totally unconscious for some time, she sighed and cleaned his face placing the spoon back in the bowl, there was nothing she could do for now but wait.

---------

Most of the day had passed relatively quiet and the child had yet to wake, the House mother stood on the porch holding the infant beat child in her arms as she watched the carriage approach, when it stopped in front of the house her son Guiren, Da-ye and five other children hopped out of it and made their way inside each greeting her as they did, she nodded to the man in front of the carriage and he returned the gesture before turning to leave.

She made her way inside and went up to the infants room placing him back in his cradle and tucking him in, she smiled to herself and headed back to her son's room bumping into his as he left now wearing his house clothes, she patted his cheek and went inside the room to her surprise the half breed was no longer in the bed, she called her son who stated he didn't see him when he came up.

The house mother felt panic pool in her stomach as she quickly checked the house, only stopping when she saw him sitting next to Da-ye who was slowly feeding him the broth, his eyes were half open and he was leaning against the girls front, she sighed in relief and made her way to the kitchen so she could prepare dinner she knew the child would be taken care of by the young elf.