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"Says you," the boy snorted disdainfully. He looked at Miyuki, literally looking down his nose at her. "What are you, anyways? Some kind of accident of magic?"

"Take that back."

Amalirahc's voice was cold, icy in a way that River had never heard before, and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Whatever." The boy laughed. "You're not an elf, that's clear enough."

"That doesn't matter," Amalirahc said fiercely. "It's what's inside that counts! And Miyuki's one of the nicest people I know!"

The boy sneered. "People?"

That was the last straw for Amalirahc. He tackled the boy to the ground. "Take it back!" he shouted, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"No!" Amalirahc shouted. "Not until he apologizes!"

The boy laughed, not at all caring that Amalirahc was sitting on his chest and pinning him down. "Are you kidding me? She's not an elf, she's not a human, she's not even a dwarf! Those are all the PEOPLE that-"

He was cut short when Amalirahc's fist broke his nose.

"Take - it - back!" Amalirahc hissed through clenched teeth.

"No," Amalirahc said again. "It doesn't matter what he knows or doesn't! Being different doesn't matter! But being mean like that, that's not acceptable!"

The boy was choking on his own blood, his eyes misting over. "You - you hit me!" he exclaimed as if he was surprised by the fact.

Amalirahc pulled back a fist threateningly. "And I'll do it again if you don't apologize," he promised.

One of the other boys stepped forward to help his friend, but the boy held up one hand. "I can handle this kid," he growled. He reached to throw Amalirahc off of him, but the halfblooded boy was ready. As the boy on the ground reached up, Amalirahc leaned over to escape the blow, using the momentum to knee the boy in the side of the head.

River looked around for Kelirahc and Leyenda, but they were on a bench on the other side of the field, quite a distance away, and didn't seem to be paying attention, deep in conversation. She had two instincts: the first, to run to them for help; and the second, to help Amalirahc herself. She had her own training and magic at her fingertips after all!

The boys rolled together, and Amalirahc kept it going until he was on top again. This time, he grabbed the boy's shirt right up at the collar and lifted it slightly so that the boy's head was tilted up.

"Apologize!" he ordered harshly.

One of the other boys darted forward to help his friend, and without even realizing what she was doing, River flung one hand forward, her intention to stop the boy: but what happened took her by surprise. A blue light emanated from her fingertips and into the boy, stopping him in his tracks. The light flashed over him briefly, then vanished, and he fell to the ground in surprise, his hair standing on end.

River stared. How in the world had she done that?

"I-I don't know," River replied, shaking. "I've never done that before ..."

The rest of the boys, seeing what had happened, turned and ran, leaving only the boy that Amalirahc was sitting on.

"Last chance," Amalirahc told the boy angrily. "Apologize!"

The boy was silent, and Amalirahc punched him again, this time on the jaw. The boy let out a yelp and squeaked, "Sorry! Sorry!"

Amalirahc got up, his fists still clenched, and the boy scrambled to his feet and ran away, metaphoric tail between his legs.

"You would want to? When they act like you're an animal or something?" Amalirahc scowled. "They might not treat me or River very well because we're different, but if they're going to be as bad as the humans in the Southland to you, then I wouldn't want to play with them anyways!"

He rubbed his knuckles lightly against his pants. "Now what?"

They had to wait for River's grandparents and Miyuki's parents, but they obviously wouldn't be playing ... and if they left then the others wouldn't be able to find them ...

"I want to sit down," River said, her voice shaking slightly. "I feel kind of funny ..."

She was still trying to comprehend what she had done to that boy. She was very grateful that she hadn't hurt him worse than she had, but at the same time she was trying to understand what had happened in the first place.