Title: Elven History Lessons
Authors: Leiko and Perry

Shirania and Kiron arrived at school early the next morning in order to figure out a visitor pass for the elf. Kiron looked up at the large building, wondering what sort of people, no humans, could be found inside. It was a large brick building, typically school like, with the words "Newport Senior High School" emblazoned in white on the side

"Come on Kiron. We need to get you a visitor's pass for today," Shirania gestured as they walked through the main doors of the school.

"Okay," the elf replied, not sure why she needed a pass to visit. How long had she been in stasis, as the elder had put it the night before?

Shirania, dressed in jeans and a pale green shirt led the way into the school, and off to the office.

Brice had arrived early as well, in order to figure out registration as a transfer student to Newport High School. Grumbling to himself, he wearily eyed the stack of paperwork to be done.

Coming up to the counter, Shirania waited for the receptionist to finish a call.

Dressed in greenish khaki colored pants, along with the grey tank top, Kiron used her hand to cover the large scar on her forearm as they entered the official looking room. She glanced with interest at the boy filling out something, taking note of his heritage. Half-elf?

Buried under a pile of his own, Brice paid the newcomers no heed, working steadily through each form.

"Jura, who is that?" she asked softly, glancing in the boy's direction.

The receptionist held up a hand, indicating that the two should wait there. She continued speaking on the phone for a few minutes more.

"I don't know. He might be new." Shirania answered, having nodded to the busy receptionist.

"He's... not fully human," she murmured, under the secretary's hearing.

"Huh?" Shirania asked, startled by the remark. "What do you mean?

"He looks to be half-elven," she answered. "His features are too fine for a human, but he is not a true elf either."

"O" The girl made the sound, staring at the boy, trying to see what had tipped Kiron off to his heritage.

Putting on the biggest smile possible, the receptionist hung up the phone and turned to Shirania and Kiron. "How may I help you?"

"Oh. . umm. This is my friend Kiron, and we were wondering if she could attend classes with me today." Shirania turned back to the receptionist.

"Certainly," said the receptionist. "We'll just need you to fill out a few forms and I can give you a badge designating you as a visitor." She pushed a few papers in Shirania's direction.

Kiron smiled, glancing suspiciously at the papers. Was that the human solution to everything?

Shirania took the papers and headed over to the free desk next to the boy.

"Blood type?" muttered Brice in his corner. "What do they need my blood type for? I hope it's optional, because I don't know..." He continued working his way through the forms.

"Let's see. . these don't look too bad." Shirania flipped through the forms.

Kiron bit her lip, trying to keep her eyes on her stack of papers. It was unusual to see a half-elf, especially one in human society. Did he know of his heritage?

"It looks like they only need your name and address, and reason for visiting, as well as the length of duration for your stay. . . Then a doctor and and emergency contact. . . You don't have a car so we don't need this form. . .. ." Shirania put the papers down in front of the elf.

"I.. don't have an address," Kiron mumbled, filling her name out in the proscribed place with carefully strokes of the pen.

"Hmm. . . I'll fill in my old address. . . . " Shirania filled in a set of numbers from Phoenix, her handwriting almost identical to Kiron's.

"Alright," Kiron watched Shirania, bemused. "Thank you, Jura."

"I guess we'll put my parents as the emergency contact. . . and my doctor as well." the girl deftly wrote down the numbers from memory. "That should about do it."

The young man blinked. "Okay, this is getting ridiculous... Mother's maiden name? Jeez... Okay, that's the last one." He looked up. "What should I do with these, miss?" he asked the receptionist.

The receptionist looked up from filing her nails. "Just put them here," she waved at the desk, "and we'll have you a schedule as soon as possible."

Brice sighed heavily and put the stack of papers on her desk as instructed, then took his seat in the corner again.

"Now what?" Kiron looked at the receptionist apprehensivly.

The receptionist turned to Kiron. "All your papers are in order... Okay, here." She passed Kiron a little name-tage. "Just sign your name and put it on."

"Thanks." Shirania smiled to the receptionist, passing the tag to Kiron.

Making a slight whimpering noise, the receptionist glanced at the transfer papers. "Why do they have to have all these things?" she muttered to herself before starting to process the boy's information.

Kiron wrote her name neatly on the tag, adding a small flourish to the end.

While waiting for Kiron to finish signing her name, Shirania looked over at the new boy again. Surprisingly, the fact that he was part elf didn't disturb her as much as she felt it should. The shock of the previous day had been lost in the night, and she had awoken ready to face the world.

Kiron looked the boy over carefully, he had not grown into his nature yet, but was at the proper age to begin discovering he was not the same age as everyone else. Who was he?

Brice payed no notice to the others, only kicked his feet and stared out the window.

"What's out there?" Kiron asked softly, looking at the boy.

"Huh? Oh... nothing... Just trees and grass and stuff."

"And stuff?" Kiron looked outside, smiling faintly.

The boy shrugged. "Sidewalks, roads, the city, that sort of thing."

"Yet you find it this interesting?" she flicked back a few strand of silver hair that had fallen over her shoulder.

Again a shrug. "More interesting to watch the grass grow than to watch the carpet grow," he replied simply.

"Umm. . Hi. I'm Shirania Kelon. Are you new here?" Shirania broke into the conversation awkwardly.

Brice nodded, smiling at Shirania. "Yeah.. Just got here a little while ago. I'm Brice Collins." He extended a hand.

Shirania shook his hand a bit shyly. "What year are you?

"Freshman... you?"

"I'm a senior." Shirania brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "This is my friend Kiron." She introduced the silver haired elf.

"Hi, Kiron Astrainia of the Yo-" Kiron stopped herself, she was no longer of any guard.

Brice blinked as he looked at Kiron. "Er, nice to meet you."

Glancing back and forth between the two, Shirania wondered if Brice knew more about himself that she did. . .Was she the only one who had been denied her herritage?

Kiron bit her lip, how much did he know? "A pleasure to cross your path."

Shirania paused, recognizing the stylistic greeting from last night.

Brice only blinked owlishly at her. "Yeah..."

"Do you know what lunch you have today? I have second lunch if you wanted to join us." Shirania offered politely, noting that he had not returned the greeting.

Kiron tilted her head, he didn't know his heritage. "How old are you, Brice?"

"Umm... I'll know what lunch I have as soon as she's done, I guess..." Brice indicated the receptionist with a tilt of his head. "Er, I'm fourteen," the young man added in response to the other question.

"Now, the question of the decade is, how long with that be?" Kiron mused, fighting to fit into the human society still.

"Hopefully soon." Shirania replied, glancing at the clock.

As if on cue, the receptionist let out a little whoop of triumph, which she quickly smothered with ther hand. "Uh, Mr. Collins, I've got your schedule right here." She held it out, and the boy took it.

"Schedule?" Kiorn glanced at Shirania.

"It's his list of classes." Shirania explained patiently, glad to be familiar with the topic for once. "Your 3rd period class decides what lunch you have."

"Wow," he said. "I've got second lunch too."

"Period?" Kiron blinked again.

"This morning I've got History, Music, and Math. Because I have math with Mr. Porter, I have second lunch." she explained, smiling reassuringly.

"Oh," Kiron nodded, even though it seemed strange. "Does Brice have different... periods?"

"Yes. Because he's a freshman, he has different classes, though they occur at the same times." Desperately Shirania hoped she didn't sound too odd.

"And you are a... senior, yes?"

Brice nodded. "I've got... uh..." he peered at the schedule. "Um, I've got Biology, Math, and Geography my first three periods.."

The dark haired girl nodded, adjusting the straps to her backpack.

"Do you know where your first class is?" Shirania asked politely.

Brice turned the sheet of paper over in his hands several times, comparing it to a little map of the campus on the back. After a few moments he looked up helplessly at Shirania. "Not a clue."

"I'll show you. The science wing is on the way to my first class, and the bell should be ringing shortly." Shirania glanced at the clock again, and then back down at Kiron and Brice.

"Jura, I can carry that for you," Kiron said, feeling odd with nothing. She had a small knife on her person, but she did not think it would be a good idea to tell Shirania at this point. She didn't seem to understand...that Kiron had to protect her.

Stretching as he did so, Brice stood and gathered his things. "Right then... Thank you very much, Shirania."

"It's ok." Shirania replied, moving to leave the office.

Kiron followed, stopping as they left the office. There were.... so many people....

Noting her companion's hesitation, Shirania paused, turning back to put a reassuring hand on the elf's shoulders. "There are 1000 students at this school." she said, noting the apparent crowd.

Brice whistled appreciatively. "Small school. In Maine the school I went to had 1000 students in each class."

"When.. human.. so many?" Kiron was at a loss for words. Even at the height of elven society, this many children had never been gathered in once place. There just weren't that many.

Kiron was rewarded with another owlish blink from Brice, but he did not comment.

"Come on." Shirania urged softlly, feeling odd to be the knowledgable one.

Brice nodded and followed Shirania.

"Jura..." Kiron said nothing more, following Shirania quietly.

Shirania kept her hand on the elf's shoulder for a ways, unusre of what had upset her so. Was she afraid of crowds?

"The science wing is down here." Shirania motioned to a set of double doors. "You should be able to find your classroom. The math wing is off to the left up ahead, and History is to the right. That's where your Geography class will be."

This many people, there had not even been that many Grinaldi when... Laira... How could Kiron protect Shirania?

Brice followed Shirania's instructions with his eyes. "Thanks again. I think I can find my way from here." He smiled and waved before heading off to his first class.

Shirania smiled back as the five minute warning bell toned. "We'll see you at lunch."

Kiron looked up, surprised by the bell. Her eyes darted arund the small hall, wondering where it had come from.

"That was the five minute bell. Are you ok?" Shirania asked, her hair spilling over her shoulder in a dark cascade.

"I.. I think so, it's just... strange. There were never this many children in one place that I've ever seen before." Kiron answered, trying not to alarm her friend.

Shirania smiled reassuringly. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

Kiron bit her lip, doing her best to stay close to Shirania. She somehow managed to ignore the many people who gave them odd glances, keeping her attnetion on the dark hair before her.

Shirania led the way down the crowded hallways and finally into a classroom. The seats were arranged in the high school attempt at auditorium seeting with preformed desks -- all surrounding a podium. Girls chatted off in one corner and guys sat on the desks looking cool and eyeing the girls. Shirania led the way to two seats off to the side, but not really in the back.

"This is your... school?" Kiron asked, shifting the stange chair. It was made of a material she did not recognize.

"Well kinda. I've only been here for a year, but I guess that's what you'd call it." Shirania answered, pulling her notebook out.

"Interesting," she looked around the class, paying scant attention to the groups of children gathering together.

One of the guys detatched himself from the crowds and sauntered over to the two girls. "Hiya Shira! Ready for the meet today?" He asked. "Who's your friend?" he smiled down at Kiron invitingly.

Kiron stood, more than matching the boy for height. "I am called Kiron." She grinned, a playful air around her. "Do you have a name as well?"

"Um. . . yeah. Hi, my name's Kirk. I'm on the swim team with Shira." He indicated the girl with a shrug of his shoulder. "So. . . . . where are you from?"

"Around," she evaded the question easily. "I came to visit J-Shira."

"Ah. . is she your cousin or something?" he asked, unsure of the cocky silver haired girl -- such an opposite to Shirania.

"You could call it that," she laughed softly. "I look forward to seeing you at the.. meet then."

Shirania smiled and nodded. "See you then, Kirk."

The teacher chose that moment to walk into the room, Starbucks cup in hand.

Kiron slipped back into her seat, watching the adult which had entered the room. He carried an air of authority, not used to being challenged. The teacher's eyes had a caustic look that caught Kiron's attention. She shivered slightly as the man's eyes raked her over.

"Kelon, I assume you know my policy about.. visitors," he seemed to have another word in mind for Kiron, but did not say it.

"I beg your pardon sir. Her visit was cleared through the office. . . " Shirania tried politely to respond.

"So you say, Does she have a visitors badge?" he snapped, putting the coffee cup onto it's accostumed place on his desk.

"Yes Dr. Jones." Shirania looked to Kiron.

Kiron stood, showing the badge for a moment then sat back down.

"I see," Dr. Jones did not look happy that his will had been thwarted for once, but let it pass for now. Kelon's strange friend had best behave, or the pair would find themselves in the office.

Shirania breathed a sigh of relief and held her pencil ready, hoping that he would not choose to pick on them today.

Taking a drink from the ever-present-starbucks-cup, Dr. Jones set the mug down with authority and flipped open the large binder on the podium. "As we were discussing yesterday, feudal Japan was in many respects different from the feudal period that gripped European society. However, it was also very similar. Both of these societies then endured a period of traumatic change as the eras came to a close. These changes were perhaps not surprisingly reflected in millenialist movements. Would anyone care to attempt an explaination at what a millennialist movement is. . though we have yet to reach the new millennium. . . "He grumbled off on his favorite point of Y2Kness as he glared about the room.

"Ah. . sir?" Kirk raised his hand tentatively from the other side of the room, almost, but not quite drowning out Kiron's giggle.

"Yes?" Dr. Jones bored into the swimmer, his glare glancing off of Kiron and Shirania. "What do you think, Mr. Harmon?"

"Well, since there was all of this millenium talk with the year 2000 and stuff, I was thinking it might have been similar to that. . . you know, all the predictions in the magazines and stuff about the end of the world." Kirk answered.

Kiron laughed softly, trying to stiffle it behind her hand.

Rolling his eyes, Dr. Jones took the podium in a double handed grip, leaning over it like some puritan preacher. "A bare answer, but at least an attempt, Mr. Harmon. A millenniallist movement is one that occurs during a period of severe tension, resulting in a cultural sense of the impending end of the world." He paused, taking a drink from the Starbucks cup and glaring about the room again.

Dr. Jones continued to drone on about the socio economic factors associated with the onslaught of a millennialist movement for several more minutes before pausing for another pull at his apparantly bottomless Starbucks cup.

Still studiously sitting at her desk, Kiron sat with her hand still covering her mouth. Her eyes were obviously smiling over it, going over the room as she listened to the teacher.

"Now, if anybody had bothered to do their reading, they might perhaps suggest what one of these assorted millennialist movements that I appear to be so fond of ARE." He emphasized the last word, leaning once more on the podium.

"Sir?" Kiron met his eyes.

"Yes Miss. . . " Dr Jones trailed off.

"Well, possibly the best known but misunderstood movement was that which created the Christians. For years after the Christ-god's death, it was assumed the end was coming and quickly. And while it is no longer completely connected, the calandar his death created has spawned futher prophesy of the world ending," she answered, eyes still amused.

Slowly the teacher nodded his reluctant approval. "Is there anyone who is SUPPOSED to be here who has anything to add?" he asked with a significant look at Shirania.

Shirania remained silent, staring down at her notes.

"Perhaps Miss Kelon has something she would like to add." Dr. Jones ground on.

"Well, there was something about a movement in Russia in 1666. The movement coincided with the year of the Devil's number." Shirania answered quietly.

"Very well. . . would anyone else care to add in?" the teacher added, his opinion of his students' level of intelligence very plain in his voice.

Kiron gripped Shirania's hand reasurringly. Her other hand fidgeted with a necklace she had pulled from her shirt. The neckalce's silver almost glowed dully in the flouresent lighting. It was a faded match to the circlet on her forehead. Realizing she was toying with it, Kiron slipped it back into her shirt again.

"Miss Freely?" Dr. Jones turned his attentions to the cheerleader sitting near the back.

Feet shuffled nervously, several students coughing in an attempt to avoid Dr. Jones' gaze.

"Do you have anything to add to the discussion?" Dr. Jones nearly shot lightening out of his eyes as he took another drink, not budging an inch for the girl's comfort.

"No, sir," she answered promptly, giving the answer a nod for emphasis.

"Whyever not, Miss Freely?" he smiled coldly, setting the cup down with a terrifying slowness.

"Um, well, I'm not sure what the uh, discussion is about," she managed to stammer out.

"And why do you think that would be," he paused dramatically, adjusting the cup, "Miss Freely?"

"Well, Shira or whatever her name is," the girl started, bringing up the last memory she could recall of the discussion. "She speaks to quiet and I can't hear her."

"Ah yes, that must be what it was.. . . that and Miss Moore must have been talking too loudly for you to have heard."

"It must have been that," she answered, not completely comprehending what the teacher had said.

"I suggest then, that you, Miss Freely, and also Miss Moore, take yourselves down to the office and ask the nurse to give you a hearing check for the next twenty minutes, because I was able to hear Miss Kelon's answer quite well." Dr. Jone's tone broked no refusal.

Both girls stood contritely, leaving the room in a rush.

Shirania swallowed down the lump of fear that had been riding in her throat. Oh please let him leave us alone till the end of class, she pleaded silently.

Nearly half the class jumped as the bell anouncing theend of class sounded. Kiron nearly knocked her seat over, the unfamiliar sound starting the nervous elf.

Shirania breathed a deep sigh of relief as she bent over to retrieve her bookbag. We made it. . "Ok, the next class is Choir." She said, smiling nervously as she caught Dr. Jones watching them out of the corner of her eye.

"Right," Kiron shook her head, reminding herself that no one was out for Shirania. It was merely school, and had been a normal day save for her.

---------------------

Kiron tensed again as they approached the large cafeteria. Before they had mostly been in classrooms with few students gathered together, but now... So many humans all together.

Shirania walked alongside Kiron, her backpack slung over one shoulder and her wallet out in her hand.

Brice looked dejectedly at the lunch on his plate. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. He scowled.

"What is that for?" Kiron looked at the green paper in Shirania's hand.

"Well I didn't bother to pack us lunches today, so we have to buy lunch in the cafeteria." Shirania gestures to the long line of people leading out of a set of double doors.

With a sigh, Brice dug into his pizza. At least it was no worse than anything else he'd had, and pizza was usually a nice, safe food to try at any school.

"What is. . .this?" Kiron gave the cafeteria food an odd look, unsure quite what any of it was.

"Hmm?" Shirania looked up at the taller girl before turning her attention back to the lunchline. "Two slices of pizza and two milks please. Oh, and two cookies." She asked politely of the grumpy lunchlady.

"Look, there's Brice," Kiron scanned over the other students, using her height to her advantage.

Shirania paid the lunchlady and then fumbled about with her wallet, trying not to drop anything on the way out.

"I can carry some of that, Jura," Kiron said, taking the two trays from Shirania easily.

"Oh. . .thanks." Shirania mumbled, letting the elf take the trays, not knowing what else to do.

"Brice awaits over yonder," Kiron smiled faintly, wading into the crowd toward the half-elf.

Not having noticed the approaching pair, Brice held his pizza in his mouth, his schedule in one hand, and a map of the school in the other. "Hmmmmff..." he muttered around the pizza.

"Hiya Brice." Shirania smiled at the younger boy, setting her backpack down on the chair.

Brice swallowed the bite of food he'd been working on and looked up. "Oh, hello, Shirania," he replied, quickly putting his papers away.

"Brice, how has the path treated you?" Kiron asked, bringing her attention to the boy as well.

"Err, path?" he asked, his brows knitting together.

"Life, how has it been sinse we last met?"

"Oh! Um, well, it's been okay, I suppose. I've been getting settled in in all my classes." He shrugged and took another large bite of pizza.

Kiron shifted nervously, feeling the pressure of the crowd of humanity around them. "Brice, I have soemthing I muct do, can I entrust Jura's safety to you for a moment?"

Brice looked a bit confused, a sudden feeling of... something settling in his stomach. He dismissed it as the food. "Uh... sure, yeah."

Slightly unsettled at Kiron's behavior, Shirania elected to sit down and not create further reason to upset the elf.

"Jura... I will return, I promise," the elf turned slightly, picking out a path through the maze of tables.

Brice turned to Shirania. "What's this... Jura thing your friend keeps talking about?"

"Um. . well, it's kinda like a nickname. It's what she calls me." Shirania answered awkwardly, unsure of herself.

The silver-haired elf quickly made her way around the perimeter of the lunchroom, alert for any possible dangers.

"Oh." The young man shrugged and returned to polishing off his pizza.

Idly Shirania picked at her pizza, turning to follow Kiron with her eyes.

"So where did you say you were from again?" Shirania asks Brice, feeling the need to make conversation out of politeness.

"Maine," the boy managed around the last of the food he'd managed to fit in his mouth. "Er, forry," he muttered, swallowing.

"Ah. I've never been there." Shirania picked off a bit of crust and chewed it thoughtfully.

Swinging past the condiment stand, Kiron pikced up a couple of napkins, easliy gettng through the crowds to return to the table. She took a seat next to Shirania.

"S'really nice," said Brice after taking a sip from his milk carton. "We have a garden at home. I really like it, but the weeds in it are some of the toughest things you've ever seen."

"Oh? You should see some of the things that grow here. . . It's so green here I almost wonder how I ever lived in Phoenix."

Kiron looked at her pizza with avid curiousity. "This is food, yes?" She handed napkins over to both Brice and Shira.

"Only barely," the boy said aside to Kiron with a snort.

Shirania shrugged and took another bite of pizza, washing it down with some milk.

The elf glanced at him then took an experimental bite, making a face as she did so. "It's..."

"Do you not like it? I guess I should have asked you what you wanted to eat." Shirania apologizes, a long curl of hair falling over her shoulder.

Kiron smiled, "It is fine, Jura." She finished eating the pizza, determined not to upset Shirania.

Having finished his lunch, Brice pulled out his schedule and the rough map of the campus. "Say, Shirania, do you think you could help me plot my day on this map?"

"Sure Brice," the dark haired girl smiled helpfully, pulling out a highlighter from her bag.

"Mmm Jura." Brice mused softly. "That's such a cool nickname. I never really had one. Where is it from, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Umm. . " Shirania blushes at having the question posed for the second time today. "Well," she looks at Kiron for help.

Krion coughed, trying not to spit her milk out. Did no one know elven? "Well, it's a long story.... It's another language..." Kiron tried to avoid the question.

"That's cool." Brice smiled shyly. "What language? I had a friend that was learning Russian once."

Shirania blushed, ducking her head to more carefully trace out the routes from one class to another.

With a glance at Shirania, Kiron bit her lip. "Elven."

Shirania blushed even harder, her hair falling forward over her shoulder to curtain her face.

"That's cool." Brice smiled more brightly. "I always loved Lord of the Rings. I didn't know there was someplace that you could learn Elven!"

Shirania glanced up through the curtain of her hair, catching Kiron's puzzled expression that said more than words that she didn't know what to do with a quarter-elf who didn't know anything about his herritage.