Maija stood alongside Anders at the injured rider’s bedside, bewildered at the elf’s joy upon seeing her.
How does she know my name? Maija thought to herself, not recognizing anything about the woman who clearly seemed to know her.
“Maija?” Natalia questioned again when Maija failed to show the same level of excitement upon seeing her. “Is it really you?”
Maija furrowed her brow, taken aback by the seeming familiarity with which the elf said her name. She glanced at Anders who responded with a quizzical look similar to her own. “Yes, my name is Maija, but how do you know who I am?”
The elf sat up in bed, wincing as she shuffled her back up against the headrest. “It’s me. Natalia,” she said, placing her hand on her chest.
Maija shot questioning looks at Ivan and Nadir who eyed her curiously in reply. Maija shifted uncomfortably, bringing her hand across her body and gripping her left elbow. She eyed the elf rider warily, shaking her head slightly.
“Don’t you remember me?” the elf asked.
Maija cringed slightly, “I don’t.” Shrugging, she said, “I’m sorry.”
Natalia moved gingerly to the side of the cot. Gritting her teeth and grunting through pain, the elf rider pulled the bedsheets off and swung her legs over the edge of the bedding. Anders moved to help Natalia, but before he could reach her, she held her arm out warding him off.
Anders wondered if the healing had gone as well as they thought.
Once on her feet, she faltered. For a moment, Anders thought she might fall, so he reached out to catch her. Waving him back again, she regained her balance. Natalia turned, using the side of the cot to steady herself as she moved on her recently healed legs. Natalia straightened and looked Maija over before she spoke. “It really is you,” she said quietly. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you, but never knew what they did to you.”
Anders watched Maija’s expression change slightly. She seemed to be grasping for a memory long since forgotten.
Natalia smiled, hoping Maija had suddenly recognized her. Maija furrowed her brow, the memory she’d been searching for vanishing like a puff of smoke.
“Maija, I’m your sister,” Natalia said with a smile.
Maija froze in shock, staring blankly at the elf.
Anders’ eyes widened. He turned to Ivan and Nadir, who both looked at him as if he might have held a clue to this discovery since he’d spent more time with Maija than the rest of them. Anders shrugged, shaking his head to tell them he was just as surprised as they were.
Maija shook her head in disbelief, staggering backward and muttering under her breath, “No, that’s not possible. No.”
“What? What do you mean she’s your sister?” Ivan asked in surprise.
Natalia stepped toward Maija and Anders but stumbled under her weakness. As she fell, Maija instinctively surged forward in a flash, catching Natalia before she toppled to the floor. Anders had been closer to the elf, but Maija reacted before he could. Anders gaped in awe as Maija helped Natalia onto the bed. She smiled as Maija assisted her. Catching her gaze, Maija quickly shuffled away, affirming the awkwardness she felt toward Natalia’s claims.
“Natalia, you should be resting. The healing process hasn’t run its course,” Nadir said coming swiftly to the bedside.
Natalia waved him aside saying, “I’ll be fine.”
Ivan interjected. “Please explain to us how you two could be sisters,” he said glancing to Maija as she slid behind Anders, hiding somewhat from Natalia’s view. “Maija doesn’t even recognize you,” Ivan said motioning toward the girl.
“That I can’t explain, albeit we were separated at a young age. It’s not likely, though, that Maija forgot for lack of being aware,” Natalia paused, eyeing Ivan and Nadir curiously. She continued, “Is it possible someone tampered with her mind just after the separation?”
“Like a memory swipe?” Anders asked. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
“It can be done, but it’s not something just anyone who possesses magic can accomplish. The mind is complicated, making it difficult to alter permanently with magic.” Ivan said. “I don’t know anyone living other than Merglan who could perform such a powerful spell.”
Maija tapped Anders on the shoulder as they spoke.
Anders turned to address her, “What is it?” he asked, causing Ivan and Natalia to take notice.
“Oh, this is embarrassing,” she whispered to Anders. Stepping out from behind him, Maija said loud enough for all of them to hear, “I can’t really remember anything from my childhood.”
Anders’ eyes widened as the words registered with him, “Really?” he blurted out. Seeing the disapproving look she gave him, he fumbled to recover, “I mean, that’s got to be hard. How far back does your memory go?”
Maija blushed, shying away from him slightly, “The first thing I can remember is the day I woke up in a bedroom that somehow felt foreign to me. I knew it wasn’t mine, but the place looked lived in. Two older people lived in the house. They told me I was their granddaughter. I knew my name and who I was, but nothing about where I’d been or anything that had happened to me before that day. They told me I’d been in an accident that killed my parents and my memory was damaged.”
“So, if Natalia’s claims are true, then that means, Maija, you’re an elf?” he said. He recalled seeing the slight points to her ears earlier that morning. Anders hadn’t thought it strange at the time, just a unique attribute that made her that much more interesting.
“There’s one simple way to check and see if Natalia’s claims could be true,” Nadir said, walking over to the side of the cot where Maija and Anders stood. Nadir moved, reaching toward Maija.
Maija jumped back in a defensive stance. She held her hands up ready to block herself from Nadir.
Nadir dropped his arms to his sides and backed away saying, “I don’t intend to harm you.”
Anders leaned toward Maija and said softly, “I think he just wants to see your ears?” Anders glanced to Nadir, who nodded.
Maija slackened in her stance slightly but remained on guard.
Anders stepped closer to Maija. He stopped, gesturing toward her and asked, “May I?”
She nodded.
Anders pulled back her hair to expose one of her ears. Maija leaned away awkwardly but let him hold his position.
Ivan leaned forward, placing his hand on the side of the cot. Nadir did the same. Before she pulled away, Anders saw her ear in its entirety. It was pointed like an elf’s, but much shorter than others he’d seen. Even Natalia’s protruded through her hair as it hung loose, where Maija’s did not.
