Forsaken Until the Am

PROLOGUE

The young man stood at a dark wooden podium, before him sat five men and women clad in white and grey; their faces a mixture of fear and disgust.
"The child is a threat and must be destroyed," one of the men yelled.
"How can you say that," the youth replied, clutching the bundle he was holding to his chest. "She's just a baby."
"She is an abomination and an unclean mark on our clan," a woman cried.
"Your mother was a traitor for being with one of those demons and now look at where she is," another man called.
The youth flinched, "My mother was one of our clan’s finest hunters and you all know it. Let me take my sister, teach her, and perhaps she can be of use to us."
"She is a monster who will destroy us all."
The teen felt his anger begin to grow, "You don't know that."
"We know well what she can do."
He glared up at them, "If she turns on us then I will be the one to destroy her."
A voice called out from a woman who had been listening intently, "Blake what is her name?"
He blushed, looking at the younger, dark skinned woman, "I named her Alona because I know she will be alone through all of this."
She smiled, "It's lovely."
The group glared at their fellow elder at the end of the seats.
"The child will die," the first man yelled.
The younger woman looked at her comrades, "Why don't we see what happens. The child can't be blamed for being born as she was and maybe Blake is right. Maybe she will be useful to the clan."
"Shera you can't be serious," the other woman cried.
She smiled, "I'm very serious."
The five adults looked to one another then back to the teen.
"Fine," the man sitting at the center called. "The child may live, for now, but know this young one that if we see any trouble from her, the both of you will suffer the consequence."
Blake nodded though inside he was trembling, "Thank you my elder."
The man brushed his hand through the air to dismiss the boy but Blake spoke up, "My elder may I make another request?"
He glared down at him, "We are allowing you and your sister to live. What more can you possibly want?"
Blake flinched but stood fast, "I wish my sister's patronage to be a secret. She will already have a hard time growing up as it is. I don't want it made harder by people who will hate her just because she is a halfling."
The man glared at him, "Fine but there are those who already know or will figure it out. To those people who know I cannot control them."
Blake then bowed, "Yes my elder. Thank you," and left the hall.
After a short walk, but feeling like an eternity to him, he entered the rooms he had once shared with his mother.
He shut the door behind him and slumped against the hard wood, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, his legs crossed before him.
He placed the bundle on his lap, the tiny face of his infant sister looking up at him.
He let out a heavy sigh of relief and smiled, "Well little sis it looks like we have a long road ahead of us."
He stroked her right cheek making her pale face contort softly.