Ralph and the Pixie

Malina’s rage made her fearless of Birin, and she confronted him directly. ‘She has given her life to you. Have you no idea what that means?’

He shook his head. ‘You are making no sense. Her life is her own-’

‘It is not!’ she shouted. ‘She gave it up. For you!’ Fighting to think clearly, Malina said in a more level tone, ‘To be with you meant giving up her Power. Don’t you understand? Pixies don’t mate. We’re not like Elves or Men. For us to take a mate means that we must relinquish our relationship with the Earth Mother. It means much more than simply giving birth to offspring.’

The colour drained from Birin’s face as Malina’s words hit home. In a faint tone, he said, ‘Why did she not tell me this herself?’ At the same time, somewhere inside he’d known all along. He’d hurt her as deliberately as if he took a sadistic pleasure in such an act.

Watching him with something like pity or disgust, Malina said, ‘I saw her, some time ago. It may already be too late. You may soon find yourself with more than just guilt on your conscience.’

Looking at Malina as though seeing her for the first time, he said, albeit unwillingly, ‘You were right. You were right about me all along.’ As Pran had often done, he raised his eyes to the forest, once the natural home of the Elves, and knew at last that the price to be paid for the estrangement of the Elves from their natural home, was to be dispossessed from everything they were; their values, their beliefs, their principals . . . even their own conscience. ‘Is it there no end to the harm we’ve done?’