7th Daynion, Seption I

Life as a couple begin with Lucie. We both take our habits and try to know each other step by step.

Lucie stay so shy, even with me. However, I do everything for her to feel comfy. She just seems not to believe what's happening to us. We both lived war so it's hard to believe that positive things could happen after that. However, I can't stop to tell her how I love her.

I sing elven songs to her and she seems to adore that, she even laugh a lot about it. I begin to teach her a few elven words. Today, she learnt the word "song" : "lindë". I can't believe at this never ending happiness. But I must thing at my lineage for this is my goal on this island.

There are very strict rules on Seagull Island. They have been voted to limit people's expansion and number of children. There are a lot of refugees here and the island mustn't be overpopulated. One of the first rules says that only one wedding per daynion is allowed on the whole island. As I work at the city hall, I was able to look at the register. We could marry today. Nobody would think to marry oneself at the eve of a new sevnion ! We had to take the occasion. For without marriage, there were no kids ! On child per sevnion was authorised and I couldn't wait any longer !

So, I officially asked her to be my wife. Among our people, wedding is called "vesta". Lucie was so touched. Our dreams were becoming true and a new lineage would soon begin.

Since Lucie lives here, nobody was coming to clean the house. She managed to hire a new maid called Anthony Deschamps. He comes every day by now.

He's so helpful, especially during this daynion where we are working on our wedding. But unlike all brides who prefer to talk about dresses and cakes with their girl friends, Lucie was a very wise woman. In spite of our saving, we still needed to make more money so we could be prosperous.

Lucie decided herself into an army career. I was so afraid, seeing her taking such a decision while we where beginning to live together. But she had to prove herself she was good at something. She needed to fight to struggle with her past, for her parents that dyed at war. Of course, Seagull Island's army was only a defensive army. If there was no point to fight in that conflict that was destroying our world, it was primordial that we kept the peace on this island. Her work was truly appreciated and she was promptly promoted to the elite unit.

Even if Lucie worked in the army, she stayed a sensible woman.

Before our wedding, she took time for a good bath and make-up while our new furnitures were delivered in the bedroom. She wanted to give the house her touch.

For my part, I did prefer light colours like white and blue... But Lucie did like darker wooden furnitures and what's the point of living as a couple if you can't do compromises ? I wanted her to feel herself home at Ampano Thôn. After all, it was her home now. But with her work, the planning of our wedding and the furnitures removal, she was truly tired.

After making her up and wearing her bride's dress, after cooking the wedding cake and decorated the garden with balloons, she finally had a nap in her new blue armchair. She finally woke up at the end of the afternoon, exactly when I came back from work. When she came to greet me with her beautiful dress on I briefly believed it was an elven woman who was standing in front of me.

This bride dress was breath-taking and the woman inside was quite beautiful too ! I could stop but to compliment her but she interrupted me.

"Arthur, it's very nice from you to show so much affection towards me but I won't leave, you know ? You needn't tell me how much you find I'm pretty every minute of a day."

"Don't humans do that too ?"

"Not as much. And if you do continue, I'll became so self-confident that you won't stand with me anymore." she said, giggling nervously.

We were ready for the wedding, the "vesta" in my language.

At nightfall, I came under a flowered arch with Lucie at my side and I asked her :

"Lucie Duval, do you want to become my wife ?"

"I do." she said, becoming Lucie Paris.

Their was no guest nor witnesses at our wedding. We were just together, in communion with nature and stars. It was a magic moment and I was sure I would remember this night for all my life.

I had asked Lucie to cook a wedding cake.

It was an elven tradition that one ate some sugar thing the day of one's wedding. To bring you some luck or something like that. Lucie did cook a wonderful cake, she was a wonderful cook !

In our culture, woman were adulated and respected so she was the first to have a taste of the cake she cooked with so many care. I felt she wasn't used about so many attentions but for me, she was a goddess. Who could have believed that I fell in love with a woman that was not an elf ? So it was.

"In every elven family, each time a new household is founded, we're used to find it a currency. I thought about it all day long at work and that's what I wrote for us : Nosse eladlië lemba eo tunda, irimar, thalion. Alya ñolwe eralmàrea. »

"What doest it mean ? Except for irimar that means beautiful, I didn't catch a word. I really must improve my elfic !" she said, laughing.

"It means : The family of elves and men should eternally stay great, beautiful and strong. Prosperous and wises, unique and blessed."

"Oh, Arthur, that's so beautiful !"

"I think that our children will have to learn that currency. At last the end ... a ... alya, ñolwe ..." she said.

" ... eralmàrea." I added. "We still have a few hours left before we think about a child. Then we will have to wait for the next sevnion. Why not ... ?"

"Of course, you idiot ! It's called the wedding night in our world ! And you needn't ask your wife's permission for that !"

As I was kissing her, I thought that I had so many things to learn about men's culture. As Lucie had so many things to learn about elven culture. We were a family now, a mixed-up family, a weird family, but still a family, rich with its differences and it's two cultures.

Five minutes before midnight rang in the night from the city hall's clock, our wedding was consummated. If Lucie was pregnant tonight of all nights, this could be nothing but a good sign for future. Alya ñolwe, eralmàrea. That was a good description for our future children.

6th Daynion, Sevnion I

I've been demoted to the intern job because of an employee who reported the fact that I was spying the mayor from my office !

I couldn't stop but to think about it during the whole afternoon. Laurent Marques who works with me at the city hall drove back home with me to cheer me up but he just wasn't good at it.

"You stop crying, you wimp ! It's the blue that give you the blues ! It makes you think about the sea so you think about the city hall because it's on the shore. It's a bad thing to bring back work at home. Look at that ! Even your towels are blue !"

"I bought this place the way it is, you know..."

"And talking about bringing back work at home, did you learn anything with your big ears ?"

"Please, not you too. I have been demoted because of that, I don't want to definitely loose my job ! My ears did not betrayed me, my mouth did. Hence, I will keep for me whatever I will hear."

My sweet Lucie promptly came as soon as she knew. Apparently, things weren't great between her and Laurent. In fact, he did not understand that his presence with us was no more needed.

Anyway, he might talk ! Since Lucie was there, we couldn't do anything else but to stare the other one.

"I'm so sorry for your job. It's so unfair." she finally said.

"I know a way for you to cheer me up."

We were both embarrassed by Laurent presence, but I nevertheless kissed my beloved girlfriend. At least, things were clear now. Lucie was OK to kiss me in front of other people. Knowing Luarent, I was sure the gossip will be known by half the island before the night. An elf and a woman ! I was so touched that she accepted to live our love on broad daylight that I asked her to come and live with me. She accepted and move in with all her things and money : 19.000§ exactly !

I wanted the best for Lucie so we went in town for her to go to the best hairdresser and buy the clothes she dreamt about. I must admit I wasn't asking for such a result.

Lucie was magnificent though her simple way to be so. She wasn't the type of girl to wear alluring clothes, but she kept some great elegance. She was so beautiful !

I had great difficulties to fall asleep this night. Mostly because a gorgeous woman was sleeping in my bed and that I had too much honour to do anything with her before our wedding.

Believe me, it's difficult to stay cold when such a woman sleeps behind you, holding you in her arms. The thing was that my life was moving on step by step. Today, I understood that there would be high and low, and whatever happened at work could also happen in love. I also learned that for each bad thing, a good thing would come afterwards. To be demoted and finally live with the woman of your dreams. To be the only elf-refugee on an island and finally build your life here. No matter what future could be, as long as Lucie was by my side, I would always see the sun ray that shines between the clouds.

5th Daynion, Sevnion I

I'm already 32 daynions ! Times goes on and I'm not getting younger. I finally had a promotion at the mayor's office and I'm now an intern. With this new job, I'm able to learn more things about the war.

Lucie seems very interested by politic and she often ask me news about teh war. Her parents also perished in the explosion on the continent and she still secretly hope that they are alive. I admire her courage and a strenght. She won't let go and yet she continues to live even if life is difficult. We often meet at the Seamen Pub.

For now, she's not very comfortable with our dates and she seems to worry about gossips. Even if she never mentioned my elfic origins, I know she's a little embarrassed about people's look on her. We still have good times, though.

Today, I asked for a chess game under the shadow of the great pine. I think this game is fascinating and I didn't know such a thing when I was a kid. Lucie seems amused about my enthusiasm with the bishops, the queens, the towers... I like when she looks at me with her great black eyes and then when she smiles like that. After a delicious afternoon with her, I finally asked her out.

"Listen, Lucie, we know each other since a few daynions now and ... I know it's the war and maybe we won't spend our lives on this island, but I want to settle here, on Seagull Island. And if and island can't wear such a ridiculous name, I thought that it wouldn't be weird to see an elf-guy living with a woman. A red-haired woman wearing a black and white dress for instance...."

"What an idiot ! Of course it could be possible. I just need some time, if you're OK with it. I need ... to think about settling here and starting a new life. It means that I need to abandon the idea of my previous life on the continent and it's not easy."

"I'll let you all the time you need. Just tell me when you're ready."

Then the most incredible thing happened. Lucie took me to some quite corner and kissed me softly. Our first kiss. My first kiss with that "irimar indis" like I love to call her in my minds : this so beautiful woman.

3rd Daynion, Sevnion I

Since I had this plan in my head, I can't think of anything else but that. I have to find a wife, but those things are easier to say than to do. Nevertheless, I know that it's important for if I succeed, I could forget all the atrocities I lived and start to live my own life. I got to find a spouse, an indis like we say in our language.

I can still call Magalie, but I feel like friendship about her. Anyway, the mother of my children should be excessively beautiful if I want that our elfic line was popular on this island. There is also Daphnée, the mail deliver-girl. Here is a gorgeous woman and who has a useful job. She does know everything that happens on this island. But feel like we are only friends and doesn't want to marry an elf at all.

We often talk about the war. I tell her what I hear in the city hall and she tells me what she learns during her delivery. We really are accomplices, but not like lovers... And there is this Lucie Duval.

Lucie is one of Daphnée's friend and she was looking for a job. I let her do a few hours of cleaning at home. I didn't like this uniform a lot, but she seemed to be stick with it. It's true that I can see more than I can guess with such a short dress. Still, Lucie is a nice company for all these days where I don't work. She's one of the rare people who walk by in this corner of the island and it's good to talk to someone. I choose to live in this desert place on the island and now I complain about solitude. Be a man, Arthur ! You'll need to make things move before it's too late.

This night, I felt asleep thinking about this day off at home. In this house where I'm so alone. How it would be nice to hear my wife laugh while my kids were running in the garden ! Ach, why isn't there any woman on this island to be my indis ?

2nd Daynion, Sevnion I

I woke up very early this morning. Surely the stress due to my first day of work... I had to go to the shore and be looked by people. My ears were known in the valley, but new refugees surely had never seen elves in their lives...

From my window, I could see the Seamen Pub. I made myself the promise to come there more often. After all, there was nothing else to do on this island. Nevertheless, painting seemed to be a very interesting activity after all... Elves had always like art and I wasn't a exception.

At exactly 8 o'clock, a man came to take me in what looked like a car covered by mud.

"Couldn't you wash that car with all the water on the sea around us ?" I asked on an angry tone. "Or maybe were you waiting for the rain to wash it for you ? That car is just disgusting."

"Listen Big-Ears, if you're not happy you still can walk." replied the driver. "I'm paid to drive this car, not to wash it."

"Then you must try some initiatives sometimes..." I muttered.

The road to the shore was awful. This man smelled awfully and had a very shameful car. My day at work was good, but I felt dirty and tired when I came back home. And all these people who were staring at me at the office !

The first thing I did was to take a good bath. It was so nice to be home after a long day work. But there was an advantage about working on the shore : I had fresh news from the war. The mayor's office was near mine and I could hear everything they said in it. Apparently, they sent a boat to see if war was over but it never came back. We still heard explosions from far but as they weren't coming closer to Seagull Island we could sleep without worrying. '

The mayor also tried to sent a balloon to see if there were places where men could live. But he had to face the truth. This truth I saw when I took the last refugee boat. The continent had simply disappeared, eaten by an atomic explosion. And the pieces of land that stayed were irradiated so nobody could live there for the next thousand sevnions. Still, people were talking about other islands near ours. Apparently, some refugees lived hundred miles away from our island. Maybe some of my people were there ! No, I shouldn't be optimistic like this silly Mélissa. All mines were dead long time ago and nothing could bring them back. I preferred to resign myself and then feel pain no more than hope with the risk of braking my heart again.

1st Daynion, Sevnion I

Damned war ! They even talk about it in the newspaper ! Everything is destroyed. The continent, the cities, my people. There are only a few islands left here and there... That's so unfair I live while my parents, my brothers and sisters, my friends are dead. And here I am, 28 daynions* old, alone on that stupid-named island. Well, not exactly alone. There also are the refugees. We are on a bit of land spared by war by now. A bit of land where men and women can still live in the illusion that nothing had happened.

My name is Arthur Paris. Well, it's the name they gave me once I landed on Seagull Island, last place to live in this destroyed world. Here, all the refugees inherit a new name. We forget the past, everybody can begin a brand new life. Seagull Island... Tol Maiwi in my language ! That's how I'll call this place, this bit of land where I am resigned to live on until my last days.

I settled in the valley that is in the very heart of the island. Most of the refugees live on the coast for they could leave quickly if war came here. I've nothing more to loose for the war took anything I had. There is less inhabitants on this side of the mountains ... less people who will stare at my ears.

Apparently, I'm the only elf on this island and everybody make me fell like I'm different. I can't stop but to think about my family who perished during that stupid war. If only I had done something... But here I am in this house they call Pine Cottage. For me it's Ampano Thôn. They took my true name, they won't take my language.

I quickly found a job as a Campaign Worker in the local City Hall. Because Tol Maiwi does have a city hall. It's surprising to see that people still need things like a city hall, a police station or an hospital so they can have the illusion of a normal life, a life they chose, without the war. But nobody decided to live here. It's just the only place where refugees can live...

Near my shack is the Seamen Pub. My part of the island is no more solitary since this pub was built. Those refugees might have despair to stack up on the shore and came in the valley. I met Mélissa Brunet. A silly girl if you ask me.

"You'll see, soon this war will be over !" she said

"But they destroyed the continent with an atomic bomb ! There is nothing more here, do you understand ? Just a bit of lands scattered on the ocean ! Even if the war does stop some day, there is nowhere to go !"

"You are such a defeatist ! The war will stop, you'll see !"

Everybody here sounds stupid ! What do they hope ? Do they think we will survive all this ? That our families are waiting for us and that we will find them in a Sevnion** or two ?

Later that afternoon, other refugees came to pay me a visit. This Magalie girl immediately caught my attention. At last, there was a wise woman on this island !

"I do intend to find love here !" she said. "We should create a little community and build everything from scratch ! That's what the mayor try to do, here's an intelligent man ! There is no future beyond the sea. The old world is over. And I completely approve the new calendar, it is the sign of new beginnings."

"A new beginning ! You're kidding !" said Benjamin, a creepy-looking guy with a long nose. "The mayor takes benefit of the situation to create a new domination upon us. It's a new war that will happen, but on this island this time !"

The girl who was wearing pants seamed to approve Benjamin and while they talked passionately in my garden, me and Magalie were thinking of ways to improve our daily life on this island.

"Yes, the shore is the perfect place to live. But here, it's like a desert !"

"That's mostly why I came here at Ampano Thôn ..."

"What's that ?"

"Oh, that means the little house near the pines in elfic. It's the closest name I could find for Pines Cottage..."

"You know, when I was a girl, I was constantly dreaming about elves ! You were like such a great civilisation ! Prouds and braves, nothing could stop you ! And then, there was the war !"

"And then there was the war." I repeated on a sad tone. "But I'm still there and I'm sure other elves survived ! I can't be the only survivor. And still, I will fight for my people to survive through my descendants !"

I had no idea about how I was going to do. I didn't even know if elves and humans could have elven children, but I had got to try. That was the only way for me to found a new population of elves, here, on this island. I didn't know what future was made of, but I did know that I would fight not to belong to the past.