Page 24 of The Dark Elf's Secret Baby
His smile is strained. No wonder he’s been shipped out here. A dark elf bad at politics is as good as dead or forgotten.
“Would you like a tour of the island, sir?”
The sun glints off of something to my left, and I turn my head. It’s probably just the water, but it’s a jerk reaction. Except, I spot a mess of thick curly hair that my hands are aching to disappear into, and even though I’m not sure it’s her, I take a step forward.
“No. I’d like to explore on my own.”
15
Layla
“Watch the line,” I murmur as I lean forward to guide Jasper’s pole back to the water. He turned to look at me, bringing the line out of the water. While I didn’t put a hook on my toddler’s fishing pole, I am trying to teach him proper safety so he can finish when he’s old enough.
“Fish! Fish!” He points excitedly to the water, where my bobber has sunk below, and I chuckle.
Crouching down, I help him hold my pole, his completely abandoned on the pier in favor of my more interesting one. We tug, his little hands fumbling with the reel, but I try to let him do it as best as he can manage. It’s good for him to struggle, to learn, and sometimes, it’s good for him to fail.
It’ll teach him to be a better person if I don’t do everything for him.
“Fiiiish!” he groans as he jerks on the pole, and he slams back into me as the bobber breaks free of the surface and his momentum is too much for his little legs to handle.
I turn Jasper so that the hook doesn’t swing into us. I’ve learned first hand just because a fish has bitten the sharp ends doesn’t mean that it can’t prick you, too. And I’ve tried to make sure Jasper knows that, but sometimes he forgets.
Like right now, as he scrambles to pick up the fish and I worry that hook that has pierced its lip will slice his hand open as he grabs his catch. “Jas, watch your hand.”
“Looook,” he coos, completely ignoring me. But I’ve taught him enough that he grabs the belly of the fish, deftly avoiding cutting himself without a thought. “Mama, look!”
“I see, baby.” His face is lit up with a bright smile that warms my heart, and for a moment, just a moment, I wish his father could see him. I can just imagine Kerym fawning over him.
But then I blink, and the idea is shattered. I know that he is a dark elf soldier, and while he may have been sweet to me, I was merely something to pass the time. Jasper would not be something he would want.
And a dark elf soldier is not the kind of father my boy needs, anyway.
“Fish!” Jasper’s thrilled voice brings me back before he starts to try and wrangle it off the hook.
“Such a big fish!” I assure him, rushing forward and pulling it free. “It looks so good. You did a great job, Jas.” He beams with pride. “Do you want to eat the fish for dinner?”
His eyes widen. “Yes!”
I chuckle. We are allotted rations in the camp, and it’s usually not the fish we catch to meet our quota, but I have enough that there’s no harm. And Jasper isn’t technically a worker yet so ‘his’ fish doesn’t count.
He scrambles back toward his forgotten pole, scooping it up. “Like fish.”
I ruffle his hair. “I know, buddy.”
“Fish more?”
Pursing my lips, I try to find a way to let him down gently. It’s not often that Jasper gets to come out to the docks with me. I usually take him to the little preschool here – since this camp is designed for the young, old, and weak – but today is only a half day of work for me. So, I brought Jasper to fish for a few hours until I get to go home.
I heard that a ship is coming in today with the new Lieutenant for Camp Horizon and its surrounding territories. In the years I’ve been at Camp Horizon and now on Zerva, I’ve only met a Lieutenant once. It’s not often they come to visit us, and when they do, the dark elves like us to be scarce.
Zerva is a little different, a much more relaxed atmosphere. But that doesn’t change that they need to make the best impression they can, and we are not it.
“Mama.” Jasper tugs on me, and I smile down at him. I’d gotten too lost in my thoughts.
“Soon, baby,” I tell him. “Soon, you can fish all you like.” Until they ship him off to the mines and rip my heart out.
I shake my head, trying to push the thought away. In truth, I’ve been anxious about a new Lieutenant. The last one was kinder than most dark elves and allowed us to be treated better. Better workers led to better product, of course, but I’d gladly work a little harder to be fed and not beaten.