THE RETURN

On a silver morning Queen Shianna stood at the cooking stove stirring grains and berries to feed her halfling children. It was breakfast time. Her cereals were famous throughout the land. Iron pots were barely bubbling when tiny knuckles sounded at the door. "They come early this morning," she whispered as she moved across the room to slide the latch bolt.

Standing on the porch was little Leah.

Shianna gasped with surprise. "My goodness, child, you have returned. But you have flown your mortal life on Earth!"

Leah grinned ear to ear. "Yup, I'm back. How do I look?" The little girl twirled in her new blue dress.

"Why. . . why you are lovely," praised the Queen, "such curly hair golden like the sun and eyes as green as sea stones, but I am so surprised. Preborn halflings once they become children on physical worlds almost never return."

Sniffing sweet cereals smells Leah scampered to fill her bowl. She sat at the parlor table spooning huge mouth-fulls before the forest Queen could ask again, "Leah, honey, I must know how you found your way back? You can answer between gulps."

"Oh it was easy," replied the busy girl, "I never forgot the time before Earth, and then my daddy taught me how to cross over."

Shianna flushed with excitement. "You mean, he's here?"

"Sure, he's outside." Leah swallowed her last bite and zipped for the door. "I'll go get him. Be right back."

Shianna plopped on a cushioned chair muttering, "what will happen next?" She had not long to wait.

At the door stood Leah with her arm around a shaggy old bear. "This is my daddy!" The little girl beamed.

CHAPTER TWO

PROLOGUE