Queer Christian Family Values

Our Mission is to Promote the affirmation and Inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Christian faith!

QCFV BLOG

Become a Patron!

Categories

All
Biblical History
Black Lives Matter
Blogs By Alex Burchnell
Blogs By Desiree Raught
Catholic Themes
Clobber Passages
Diversity
Giveaway
LGBT & The Bible
Partner Program
Tales Of Nailan
Top Surgery

ABOUT US

QCFV is a site created to promote the affirmation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Christian faith. Consider becoming a donor or Patreon sponsor to enable us to continuing helping others by providing free resources, online communities, and quarterly binder giveaways. 

    Subscribe to our Blog

Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Blog
  • Affirming Resources
  • TriCities Churches
  • TriCities Organizations
  • Trans Resources
  • Support Services
  • Misc. Resources
  • Connect with Us

2/28/2020

I'm getting Surgery

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Dear Reader,

You read the title right! I am getting surgery on March 17th! I am both relieved and nervous. I have so many emotions happening right now. I am ready to never have to bind again, but I'm also nervous about going under. I want it all to work out. I know God will get me through, but I can't help but have anxiety about it all.

Recently I have had several people donate to my fundraiser so that I don't have to worry about expenses as much post-op. I can't think you all enough! You have no idea how much this means to me. I hope that one day I am in a position to help people get surgery. If QCFV takes off, I'd love to start a surgery fund. I want to help as many people as we can.

I finally called pre-registration with the hospital that I'll be having my procedure at. The first time I called I just googled the number for the hospital and was transferred twice. Then I got in touch with a billing person who said they don't set up any payment plans since this is a plastic surgery appointment. I told the lady that Chris, my husband, had his surgery there through the same doctor and they set one up. She says well your doctor should know we don't do that. Rude. So I look at the email that my surgeon sent over and it had a different number to call. I spoke with a nice guy who took my information to get me into the system. He didn't ask for money but said a financial adviser would call later on and set up a payment arrangement. That, ladies and gents and non-binaries, is why reading all the instructions is important! I feel a bit relieved after I spoke to someone, and it's getting super real. I still need to call metLife, who will be covering my time off from work. I am a huge procrastinator. Ugh!

If you or anyone you know would like to talk about their surgery experience or just has questions, then comment below or shoot an email over to QueerChristianFamilyValues@Gmail.com and I'll get back to you ASAP.

I guess I should go get some work done. See ya in the next one!
​
-Alexander M. BUrchnell
Edited by Christopher J. Burchnell

Share

0 Comments

2/28/2020

Who wrote the Gospel of Mark?

0 Comments

Read Now
 
The Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the core of the New Testament, which is the foundation of Christianity. We Christians believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament based on the covenant that God sent his son to spread the word, or "good news", and the promise of eternal life. Out of the four gospels, most claim Matthew is the oldest; however, that spot goes to Mark. It has been dated anywhere from the 70's to the mid 80's of the first century. The way Mark arranges the story of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection is the main reason I count it as my favorite. But who wrote Mark? 

CrossExamined.org had a similar question in mind when they wrote a piece reviewing various theories, of which can be found here. The traditional view is that the gospel was written by John Mark who transcribed the teachings of Simon Peter. John Mark is said to be the son of a window named Mary, as seen in Acts 12:12-17). The Bible doesn't give much away as to the author's identity, but there are several traits to the gospel of Mark one could decipher from. Mark is fast paced, focuses on the humanity of Christ, writes with a Latin audience in mind, references Rome, focuses on Peter quite a bit, emphasizes the Messianic Secret, and tells of an unknown man. The unknown man mentioned in Mark 14:51-52 was a strange incident depicting the Garden of Gethsemane. The man is caught when Jesus was arrested and escaped Roman guards but lost his clothing in the scuffle. Many believe this man is the author of Mark!

Now, something I enjoyed about our sourced article mentioned above is that they also looked at the external evidence. They mentioned a quote from the early church who was unanimous in their belief that John Mark was the author stating, 
“And the presbyter said this. Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the necessities [of his hearers], but with no intention of giving a regular narrative of the Lord’s sayings. Wherefore Mark made no mistake in thus writing some things as he remembered them. For of one thing he took especial care, not to omit anything he had heard, and not to put anything fictitious into the statements.” - Papias of Hierapolis (A.D. 60-130)
Papias was a Greek Apostolic Father and Bishop of Hierapolis (modern Pamukkale, Turkey) as noted from GotQuestions.org. He authored the Expostion of the Sayings of the Lord in five books. This piece's purpose was to present an accurate record of the teaching and works of the apostles as reported to him by "John the Elder" aka the Apostle John. Irenaeus (A.D. 130-200) also confers with Papias stating,
“After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter.”
Irenaeus was a Greek Bishop who is best known for his role in guiding and expanding the Christian communities into the south of France, especially the theology. 

If we are to take from Irenaeus' statement, "after their departure", to mean Peter's execution, then Mark was written in the mid to late 60's A.D, but possibly as early as 50 A.D. But what is clear, the gospel was written while the author was still in Rome, which was the audience of the time period. The sourced article by CrossExamined.org conclusion is something I agree with:
"From the evidences considered, John Mark is the only clear candidate for the Second Gospel. While John Mark was not a primary witness of the life of Jesus of Nazareth and while he does not necessarily record the events of Jesus’s life in chronological order, he does act as a scribe, or amanuensis, to Peter whom Jesus knew and selected to be an inner circle disciple. We have a great testimony preserved for us in the Second Gospel. I believe we truly have the eyewitness accounts of Simon Peter documented for us by his good friend John Mark."
I truly enjoyed researching this topic and would like to do something similar in the future. If you have any suggestions on my next subject, then let us know in the comments or send us an email at QueerChristianFamilyValues@Gmail.com.

See ya in the next one!

Written by Alexander M. Burchnell
Edited by Christopher J. Burchnell

Share

0 Comments

2/21/2020

Tales of Nailan: We're Walking?!

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Aira opened her eyes and groaned. The night had grown cold, and the ground was hard-packed. Was that a rock sticking into her side? She stuck her hand behind her and pulled out the sharpest, biggest rock that could have possibly found its way underneath her. What had she done, rolled around the whole camp in her sleep just to land on the worst rock possible? Aira shook her head and stretched. She had woken Tal up three hours after he had gone to sleep. He had grumbled at her sleepily, chastising her for not waking him sooner, but had sat up promptly, his sword held lightly in his hands.

That had been a slight surprise. Not, perhaps, that Tal had a sword, but that she hadn’t noticed it before. Where had he hidden it? Had he hidden it? Or was she being overly suspicious again? Ugh! She thought. Why can’t I trust him? Well, a quieter voice seemed to say, you did just meet him.

There was that. Speaking of… Where was the dragon? She looked around their campsite, craning her neck around the fire pit. There were their ashes, her cloak (she had used it as a pillow and, of course, had woken up five hundred feet away), and her water skin. No Tal. So he left her after all. Only to be expected. Well, she better pack up and figure out what she was going to do now. Can’t rely on--

“Good morning!” the sing-song voice floated over the trees toward her. Tal, a string full of rabbits held in one hand, his cloak thrown over his shoulder in the other, came striding out of the trees. “I thought we might need a good breakfast. I didn’t smell any food in your cloak, and I, frankly, was supposed to arrive with the werewolves last night, so I didn’t pack any food either. This should serve nicely. Why don’t you get the fire started, and I’ll skin these critters?”

And Tal, very matter of factly, sat down on a nearby rock (much bigger than the one that had jabbed Aira in her sleep) and began skinning the rabbits.

She blinked. What a strange Creature. Shaking her head, she began piling sticks and logs for fuel in the center of the stones she had found the night before. Then, she sat back on her heels and extended her hands toward the pile of wood. Closing her eyes, she reached inside for the flicker of Nightforce she had and sent it streaming through her fingers at the sticks, concentrating on fire. A dark green glow surrounded her hands, and suddenly fire sprang to life around the wood. Triumphant, she looked up at Tal, who had finished skewering two rabbits on a long, sharpened stick.

“Very good,” he said gently, “I usually use flint myself. Dark Power--uh, you Newlings call it Nightforce, now, I believe--takes too much out of me when I use it to justify lighting a fire with it.”

She frowned, “But it’s not that tiring for me.”

“You are a full werewolf, correct? You should have access to more Nightforce than I do. I prefer to use other tools,” he smiled, and suddenly the stick with the rabbits rose in the air and hovered above the fire, seemingly on their own. Aira didn’t see a glow of Night or Dayforce around Tal’s hands.

“How are you doing that?”

“I’m a dragon, remember? Telekinesis. Much easier for me than Nightforce!” Tal laughed at her expression and stretched his legs out. “Won’t be too much longer until the rabbits are ready. Then we better be on our way. I dare say it will take slightly more than a day to reach these werewolves on foot.”

“On foot!” Aira froze as she bent to pick up her cloak and gather her belongings, “Why aren’t we flying?”

“I haven’t had a rider for years. Very uncomfortable. No. We are walking.”

Aira protested loudly as she gathered her things and grudgingly took a rabbit on a smaller stick that Tal handed her. She complained as he kicked dirt over their fire and strode away, munching on his roasted rabbit. She protested as they walked until, finally, she merely grumbled under her breath, kicking up dirt as she trudged behind him.

The day wore on, and they headed deeper into the trees that had surrounded her clearing. The sun rose to its peak, and just as Aira began to feel hungry, Tal produced strips of dried fruit. They were tasty and rather tart. He said he had made it while she was complaining, citing some principal of water extraction she did not follow. Finally, she quieted and began thinking about her escape, and that led to worry. She had been very loud all morning. If they had been followed, someone could have heard her. Aira stole a glance over her shoulder and hurried closer to Tal, her heart beating. The shadows grew longer in the forest, and she imagined she could see soldiers with bows and swords sneaking along behind her and Tal. Had they been followed?

A bird fluttered out of the branches of a tree nearby, and Aira squeaked, latching onto Tal’s arm, then releasing it quickly, muttering an apology.

“It’s okay, Aira. You can hold my arm if it makes you feel safe from birds,” he said with a smile.

“I think we are being followed,” she whispered, hugging her arms close to her chest.

“I haven’t sensed another consciousness as we have been walking, but if you’re worried, I’ll keep a sharp lookout. Who would want to mess with a dragon and a dangerous werewolf, anyway?”

Aira smiled weakly, but still tried to watch every corner. Something felt off. Maybe it was her imagination, but she really didn’t think so. It had to be real. The sun drooped lower, the trees blocking out all but the smallest streaks of light. She heard footsteps echo behind her. Were those theirs? Or the soldiers? Crying out, she whirled around, summoning her Nightforce to her hands and sending it straight through the trees.

To be continued...

Written by Christine Fritzine
Edited by Christopher J. Burchnell

Meet the Author:

Picture
Christine Fritzen
Partner Writer
C.F. is a math teacher in the northeast Ohio area. She enjoys reading, writing and drawing when she isn't playing games (video or tabletop) with friends and family. She has two dogs (a lab and a husky mix) and a partner who accepted her bisexuality before she did herself!
Facebook
Website

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

Finding Myself

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Dear Reader,
I have always grown up in a Christian household with strong belief values, but for me, I never knew anything about the LGBTQ community until high school. In my sophomore year, there were people I knew who were gay and lesbian. I told my parents about it and they seemed ok with it. But in my junior year, I felt something that I never felt before, which was feeling attraction to a guy. Throughout my junior and senior years of high school, I was really working hard to figure out if I was bisexual or gay. I was also figuring out my gender because I was struggling to find myself. I thought I was agender in my junior year and so I told my parents, but they were like, “You're not agender; there’s no such thing. There are only two genders.” So for me, I can’t even talk about the LGBTQ with anyone in my family due to them being so harsh on the topic because of their strict beliefs and Christian values. When I reached community college I realized that I was not bisexual or gay, but I was actually asexual. I came out to my parents in January of 2019, and they did not accept my sexuality, which was very hard for me to take. All my friends are supportive of it, and in October of 2019, I finally figured my gender, which is a demigirl. For me, I have always had a feminine side since I liked the color pink and lavender from a young age. I knew I never wanted to change my body, but I felt like male was not a term I liked. I did some research and found out that demigirl fit me perfectly. I will not be able to share or come out to any family members since they wouldn’t approve or think it’s valid.

I have also struggled with going to a church for the past 10 years because I don’t like what the church I went to believed in. My mom tells me that being LGBTQ is a sin, and it has really hurt me for her to say that because I know that God loves me no matter what. Through a website, I have found an accepting church that is close to where I will be attending a Christian college. I finally figured out myself, my gender and sexual orientation, and I won’t let anyone get in my way of me being myself!


Meet the Author
Hello, my name is Justin. I am 20 years old, and I am from California. I identify as a demigirl and asexual. Some of my hobbies are playing video games, watching sports, and watching Star Wars movies along with playing Star Wars games. I am a very sweet and caring person. Here’s my story of how I found my identity and sexuality.

Click here to follow me on Instagram!

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

Getting a Bit Mushy

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

God & the Gay Christian Book Review

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
​Author Matthew Vines combines a pastor’s heart and a scholar’s brain in his book God and the Gay Christian. He welds together his personal story of a budding gay sexuality with the Biblical understanding of the Christian God in two acts. In the first act, he weaves stories of his coming out with conversations between himself and well-meaning, yet unsupportive church family members. Matthew reveals a pastor’s heart as he recounts these conversations, loving yet useless. His church paints a picture of a sinful act and a judgmental God. Instead of hastily reacting, Matthew responds with great thought.

He senses a need to abandon the traditional Biblical interpretations and strike out on his own. He and his father sojourn through Biblical concordances, para-documents, the ancient Greek language and much more to discover that God’s grace was and is fully available to all gay and lesbian seekers. For Matthew, the key is an updated understanding of the Biblical text.

This understanding makes for the bones of the second act. In chapter two, Matthew tackles the complexity of Biblical interpretation by telling the story of the first telescope. The historical clash between Galileo and The Reverend Caccini set the stage. This conflict teaches the reader that the Bible has been misinterpreted throughout the ages and we are still in process.

To avoid the mistake of Caccini, we must immerse ourselves in the world of the text, the Biblical world, the language, history of the culture of Bible times. By placing the passages in their time (as opposed to our time) Matthew creates a path for the reader to explore what the passage originally meant to the premiere audience. From this diving board of Biblical language, history and culture, Matthew jumps and the reader with him. The result is a pool of logical possibilities that make room for the gay/lesbian Christian.

An example of Matthew’s jump can be found in male/female cultural expectations of the Bible times. Repeating throughout Matthew’s Biblical journey is the ongoing rub of overt and abusive sexism. The anti-gay argument is rooted in this Biblical cultural norm. Matthew teaches us to lay that aside by explaining the difference between culture and God’s coming kingdom. (Long story, short: even Bible people got it wrong!) With that obstacle removed, the reader is introduced to God’s coming kingdom and the love God has for the rainbow community.

Matthew addresses celibacy, the real sin of Sodom, the abominations of Leviticus, the unnatural acts of Romans 1, who inherits the kingdom, gay marriage and the image of God found in male/female creation story of Genesis. The reader leaves each chapter with a firm grasp on the passages as understood through multifarious disciplines.

This book is great for an introductory read into specific Biblical passages that have traditionally be understood as anti-gay. God and the Gay Christian is 10 chapters, 181 pages with Chapter notes that name other sources. It sells for approximately 12$ in a softcover, hardcover and kindle options.

Written by Amy Holmes
Edited by Christopher J. Burchnell
Picture
​The Reverend Amy Holmes is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and currently holds a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological. She & her husband (Chaplain Kevin Holmes) reside in Johnson City TN and jointly oversee the busy social life of a 13 year old daughter (cue eye roll).

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

Dear Grandpa

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Written on January 10, 2020
I’m not sure if Alex has really made any posts or comments on any of the social media, but my grandfather died this past Tuesday. It wasn’t entirely unexpected. He had been having some health issues that left him going from the hospital to a rehab center. He had a stroke a few months back and just never fully recovered.

So when I got the call that he had gone, I was a little surprised, having expected another trip to the hospital. Naturally, my adrenalin kicked in and put me into focus mode to get to my family and take care of business. But today, the day before we bury him and say goodbye for good, I couldn’t help but cry some.

It’s not that I was completely fond of the man, no we had our differences, but he was my flesh and blood, for whom I wouldn’t be here. I wasn’t very close to him, but I still cared about him. But with him gone, it’s brought some mixed feelings in my heart. He was very conservative, and that’s still an understatement. My parents had to fight to get me and Alex together in his obituary. I get that we should respect those who have passed on, but it’s good to honor and remember those who have been left behind as well. My grandparents have been very outspoken about my relationship with Alex to my parents over the many years we have been together, and I am grateful for them sticking up for us.

And so tomorrow, he will be buried basically next to my brother. That was a huge influence on my emotions. These events have gotten me thinking about faith. All throughout my life, when someone is in pain or dies, I have seen people turn to faith, praying for the person’s health or that they will finally receive peace.

Heaven or hell. That has always been the verdict. Growing up in church I can recount at least a couple of times when the preacher would be standing up at the pulpit, preaching about whatever he deemed necessary that we needed to hear that week, going on and on about who knows what. I was young during some of these times, so I had limited attention. But one thing that has stayed with me through these years is the concept of heaven and hell.

After the preacher had finished part of his big reveal of God’s work, he would pause and look at the congregation. He would say, “Raise your hand if you know for a fact that you’re going to heaven when you die.”

And if I’m being honest, that question pisses me off to no end. It infuriates me beyond belief. As if we deserve to deem ourselves worthy to judge ourselves good enough for God. As if we are not all sinners who need to cling to Christ at all times. As if we are good enough to not need Christ.

I understand that was not the purpose of this question. But, like I’ve said, it’s all gotten me thinking. How dumb are we? How blind are we? That we sit there, content and happy, raising our hands deeming ourselves worthy of a free pass when there are people sitting on the street suffering. That the woman next to us is wondering how she’s going to be able to put food on the table tonight. Or that the teenager behind us is itching for his next hit.

We have missed the point of it all. Heaven and hell have always been the endgame. Pick your side. Choose who you are going to serve. I’m not saying this isn’t important; it’s the biggest choice we can make in our lives. But we miss the point. We aren’t here to just serve God. Jesus Christ came as a servant, not to himself, but to others. We focus so much on the self that we forget others. I know people will offer their thoughts and prayers, words of comfort during this hard time for my family. I truly do appreciate it, because God will hear those prayers and help us. His will shall always be done. I’m certain that there will be many people tomorrow who says he’s in a better place. I pray he is as well.

But I don’t want that to be the end of the story. It’s not about heaven or hell. That shouldn’t be the endgame. The endgame should be helping others. My grandfather was extremely opinionated. He wrote many opinion articles to the newspaper. He hurt many people, myself included, but I like to think he helped people too.

So by all means, if someone you know or love has found their rest, go ahead and offer your prayers. Show compassion and comfort to the family of the deceased. But think about how you can help the world they left behind. Invite that woman and her family to your table. Take that teenager out and try to show him that the world can be better. Don’t think of heaven and hell as the endgame, as merely a destination you want to reach. Be a light to heaven.

Don’t worry about where you’ll go after you’re gone, because if you do I feel you’re missing the point. Christ was humble. He didn’t brag. He never denied himself, but he didn’t hold it above others. He served the world. Don’t know you’re going to heaven. Show it.

Written by Christopher J. Burchnell

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

Queer As Faith

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

Coming back to the Fold

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Coming back to the Fold: How to Receive God's Promise of an Affirming Space By Desiree Raught

Like many queer Christians, I was rejected by my home church after coming out. For most of my adolescence, I kept my same-sex attractions hidden while I received confusing messages on purity culture that only served to add to my shame. While I was in my college campus ministry, my pastor preached a sermon that changed my life; it was a staunch sermon against homosexuality and gay marriage. That message, along with the undertones of judgment, contempt, and exile, pushed me away from The Church and shook my faith for a long 7 years.
"Come, let us return to the LORD For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us,” Hosea 6:1.
While the pain of those who cast me out weighed heavily in my heart, the separation I felt from God weighed even heavier in my soul. I missed using my gifts for the glory of God, such as singing in the choir, and playing in the church orchestra; most of all, I missed the spiritually-minded community and messages that uplifted my spirits and renewed me in the word. Like the Israelites, I was lost in my own spiritual wilderness, mourning for the life I had built in the church that no longer accepted me.
"So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him,” Luke 15:20.
I was a long way off, and still am. But over time, I began a spiritual awakening: I had mistaken people, a congregation, and one church, for God, and His Church, which is a universal community built on the principles of love, compassion, forgiveness, and grace. After discovering Matthew Vines’ God and the Gay Christian, I stumbled upon an entire community of like-minded queer and spiritual people on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook, by searching hashtags like #FaithfullyLGBT and #ProgressiveChristian. Like a prodigal daughter, God beckoned me back to the church and paved a way for me to find a spiritual community that is accepting and affirming.
“Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away,” John 6:37.
Today, I am receiving God’s promise, and claiming it for myself and for you, reader, as well: God will never send us away. Any church or any space that turns us away or that does not fully affirm us is not of the one true God, or of the spirit of the Divine. Keep searching, and if your spirit is yearning to come back to Him, answer that call. There is a place for you at God’s table.
You can start by searching GayChurch.org to see where affirming, safe spaces to worship may be in your area. If there are none, consider joining an online church, connecting with an online community, or returning to God in the midst of your home and solitude. We cannot let any man or woman, or homophobic congregation, stop us from communing with our God, our Church, or our faith.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new,” 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Share

0 Comments

2/15/2020

Tal: Tales of Nailan

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Aira peered up as the man sat cross-legged in the dirt across the fire.

“Okay. I came back. Shall we start with names?” The man spread his hands and craned his head down to look at her. “Hello?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath trying to calm her beating heart. So much could go wrong here, and even if she transformed into a wolf to run, he could fly. She wouldn’t be able to escape.

Finally, she looked up, “I’m Aira.” Should she have given her real name? It was too late now.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Aira. My name is Tal Zee, though you may simply call me Tal. I am from a kingdom called Lartnek, far west from here.”

“Why are you way out here then?” she asked despite her worries.

“Good question,” he smiled, and once again, Aira saw pointed eye-teeth and felt her own with her tongue. At least that was something they had in common. “I am on a mission set by my granddaughter. She heard of a disturbance out this way and sent me to mediate. That’s my role in my old age. Mediator!”

“Granddaughter! You don’t look old enough for grandchildren!” Aira gasped, her eyebrows leaping up.

Tal laughed, “I appreciate that. I am several hundred years old at this point.” He tapped his chin. “Not quite sure how many hundred years. More than two, and I hope to Nailan less than 10.”

“But how?”

He blinked at her, “I’m a dragon. Well, half anyway, but that half is the important factor concerning my age. You see, dragons are what the academic world calls Immortal. My brother thinks that the name doesn’t really make sense because dragons can and do die. Sickness, battle, falling out of the sky after falling asleep flying, you know, the normal ways. But dragons tend to live hundreds of years more than most other races here on Lasrevinu, our lovely planet.”

Aira groaned, “Okay, you’re old. I get it.” No one who spoke like that was less than half a century.

“Mmhmm.” Tal leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, “So. Why are you way out here?”

She looked away from his green and black eyes, “Do I have to talk about it?”

“No.”

Aira jerked her head up and frowned at the dragon. He asked a question, and she didn’t have to answer it? What sort of strange creature was this?

“Seriously, no. I truly do want to know, but you just met me, and I have found, over the years, that forcing someone to talk about something they do not wish to talk about is a terrible way to come to an understanding. I know that you are in some sort of trouble. I would like to hear what you have to say about it, but you don’t have to tell me.”

She sighed, “Well, my… my friend called soldiers to arrest me. Because of something I told her. Because of something I might be. I don’t know. Anyway, they chased me all the way to a river nearby, and I was able to escape over it. I ran until I couldn’t anymore, and then I made a fire, and then you showed up.”

Tal nodded, “Something you might be. That wasn’t a good friend, I suppose. Though when I was young, younger than you, I think, the very people who were supposed to care for me and keep me safe hurt me because of something I was. Or at least half of what I was.

Then, later, people who I thought bore me no ill will sent me away because of the other part of me.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his jet black hair. “Every situation is different, but if you ever feel like telling me more, I may very well understand.”

It was odd. Aira actually thought he might be telling the truth. It still seemed fantastic that a stranger appeared out of the darkness and wanted to not only help her, but listen to her story. That didn’t just happen. Ever since that robed man at the river had told her to trust him (was that Nailan?), everything seemed to be turned on its head.

“I hope you won’t suggest I go back,” she said suddenly.

“Of course not. In fact, I won’t suggest anything. I will share the watch tonight as we sleep, and then, in the morning, I have to continue on my way.”

“To be a mediator?”

“Yes. Some werewolves are squabbling over something or other. They weren’t very specific. I happen to have some experience in werewolves, being half myself, so naturally, I was the choice.”

“Oh! I”m a werewolf too, you know!”

“Really?” He smiled, “I suppose that is where the pointed teeth and ears come from then? One can’t assume, but I was hoping…”

“Hoping that I was a werewolf?”

“Why, yes! How fortuitous it would be that I was on my way to help settle a problem with a group of werewolves, and I come across one on the way. It would be a great help to me if you decided to tag along.”

She pursed her lips. It might be a good idea if she could trust Tal. That way, she wouldn’t be alone, easy meat for the soldiers if they ever crossed the river. And it might be an interesting journey. She might find a place where she belonged. Trish’s face flashed in front of her thoughts, and Aira felt her stomach squeeze. She had thought she had found that with Trish.

“Okay, Tal. I’ll go with you!”

“Great! We’ll set off in the morning.” Tal stifled a yawn, “Now unless you have an objection, I will take the first sleep. Wake me in two hours, and I’ll take the rest of the night. Sound good?”

She nodded. Aira wouldn’t be able to sleep right now even if she wanted to. Tal smiled and curled up, using his cloak as a pillow. Aria looked at him for a long while before settling herself down to watch the night.

Written by Christine Fritzen, Partner Writer

Share

0 Comments
<<Previous
Details

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • Affirming Resources
  • TriCities Churches
  • TriCities Organizations
  • Trans Resources
  • Support Services
  • Misc. Resources
  • Connect with Us