What's Thiramin

Life, Identity

Fenneck's parents tell him about thiramin.

Fenneck giggled as his father picked him up and ran him into his room and plopped him onto his bed mat. "Rawr! You're my prisoner now, you puny elf!" his father teased him playfully as he flapped his arms like a dragon. "Nooo! Don't eat me!" Fenneck squealed, burying his head in his blankets to hide. His father roared and started tickling Fenneck who screamed and giggled with laughter. "All right boys, it's time for bed!" his mother said as she walked into his room. "Nooo! I have to kill the dwagon!" Fenneck pleaded with her. She giggled and wrapped her arms around Leonid from behind and kissed his cheek. "Or I can convince the dragon to let you go peacefully so no one gets hurt?" she suggested. Fenneck pouted. "But that's boring!" he argued. Leonid laughed. "Mama is right, Fenneck," he conceded to his wife. "Come on, Fenny. Wanna hear a story?" he suggested. Fenneck nodded excitedly. Faina sat down and leaned against Leonid and Fenneck crawled into her lap and looked excitedly up at his father. "Have we ever told you about thiramin?" he asked Fenneck. Fenneck shook his head. "Well, some elves, when they're about a hundred or so, will meet another elf and know that they're meant to be together. Like soulmates," he explained. Fenneck cocked his head. "What's a soulmate?" he asked him. Leonid pondered this a moment. "Well, it's someone who you are connected to, spiritually. Your mama and I are soulmates." Fenneck's eyes lit up. "Oh so like a best friend?!" he asked excitedly, trying to understand. "Yes, actually," Faina agreed. Leonid smiled and kissed Faina lovingly. "Yes, but it's more than that," he said, turning back to Fenneck. "You have bedroom time together?" Fenneck suggested innocently. Faina and Leonid giggled. "Yes. Most of the time you marry your thiramin," Leonid said. "So when Mama and I were children, we were friends but we were really competitive and we didn't like each other very much. She was really stubborn." Faina playfully jabbed her elbow into Leonid's side. "Papa was very rude!" she teased him back affectionately. Fenneck giggled and watched his parents look into each other's eyes lovingly. "Anyway," Leonid said, getting back to his story. "When I was around eighty years old, I came back here from spending about thirty years in Vladigrad for an apprenticeship there with their lord's court. As I was walking through the marketplace one day I saw your mother across the way in a pretty green dress with her hair pulled back in a beautiful braid. She was carrying a basket of bread and she looked up and our eyes met. In that moment, we both felt thiramin and we knew we would marry each other. I realized that I had loved her all my life," he said, looking deep into Faina's eyes, remembering the moment with great joy. Fenneck smiled. "What does it feel like?!" he asked them excitedly. "It feels like absolute certainty and a warm bubbly feeling rising up inside you," Faina said romantically. "You feel the person's presence with you, even when they aren't there." Leonid smiled. "It's the greatest feeling in the world," he told his son. Fenneck beamed with excitement. "So one day I'll meet my... my ther...?" he looked up at his day for help. "Thiramin," Leonid helped him out. "Yes, one day you'll meet them and live happily ever after!" he said excitedly. Fenneck was very excited about such a concept. "So it will be one of my friends?" he asked excitedly. "Maybe!" Faina said. Fenneck jumped up excitedly. "Can it be Erikur? He's really pretty!" he said excitedly. Leonid and Faina shared a worried look. "Well," Faina started, trying to find the right words. "Perhaps, but... Fenny..." she said. Leonid pursed his lips and interjected. "He might be Fenneck, but you won't know for a very long time," he decided. Faina gave her husband a concerned look. "Fenny," she interjected. "You-" Leonid cut her off. "He's too young for that, Faina," he told her harshly. He turned back to Fenneck. "You and Erikur should just be friends for now. You're too young to be worried about falling in love anyway," he said decidedly. Fenneck sighed. "But it sounds so wonderful!" he said, throwing his arms in the air and spinning around his bed. "It is, but you shouldn't worry about it. It will come when it's time, trust me," Leonid told him. Fenneck plopped himself back into his dad's lap. "Okay," he agreed. Leonid kissed him on the head. "It's time to rest, love," he told his son. Fenneck nodded and got up and settled onto his mat. Faina leaned down and kissed his on the cheek. "Goodnight, Fenny," she told him before standing up with her husband. "Sweet memories," she told him as she and Leonid left him for the evening. Fenneck started to meditate and he relived experiences with his past romances. Memories from his past lives of falling in love with beautiful elves and he became excited to experience these wonderful feelings for himself.