The afternoon rain had come early, before lunch to be exact.

Serine had been hoping Emmet and Vestin would be back before the rain. In fact, they couldn’t get back soon enough. But since the rain was early, they would take longer.

As she watched through the windows, looking to see her loved one walk down the street, she couldn’t get out of her mind that Elves made her nervous.

Nina had done nothing to warrant distrust. She was polite, sat relatively still and ate everything put in front of her.

Serine even gave her food she knew elves disliked, and yet she still ate it.

Far too polite, which made her feel even more nervous.

It didn’t help that the elf still had her sword loosely strapped to her back.

Nina had even apologised for the wearing of her sword “I can’t be too careful Serine, even though I haven’t felt this safe in many years I can’t give the sword up.”

Serine had been equally polite in explaining her sword “I can understand your distrust, hell, I am wearing mine just in case you decide to claim my house as your own.”

Oddly enough, she felt instantly bad about that comment.

Nina looked down in apparent shame and made another apology “We do our best to remain kind and good to all living things. I am sorry you view our actions as malicious and I hope that one day you will view them differently. Until then, please accept my apology to the harm we have done to your people”

Nervous.

There was no small talk from Nina, not that Serine tried or minded. So when she saw the boys round the corner she was relieved.

Emmet and Vestin were soaked through. They had not expected the rain in the morning. The travel gear was always packed safely inside Vestin and Serine’s house so they thought it safe to not bring the wet weather gear along with them from the farm.

Emmet walked in first; arms open wide for his greeting hug, which she gave warmly. Vestin just stood in the door looking like a drowned rat. Somehow he always managed to look disturbingly upset when he was wet, not an ounce of dignity in his look at all.

Emmet on the other hand always looked comfortable in any weather.

Serine couldn’t stop smiling; she hadn’t seen Emmet in months. Even so, business was at hand, so she nodded towards the elf so he knew where to go.

Emmet took the lead by walking towards the elf.

Serine just stood back and watched as the elf and Emmet talked. First came the small formal greeting. Then they introduced themselves by name. And finally the small talk about the weather.

Once that was over, Emmet began the real process.

“Serine, Vestin and I have worked closely for many years; under normal circumstances I would consider the three of us enough to escort you to Gathering with a lead into Alra. But, you are not normal and even the mere point you are here makes for unusual circumstances. So we have arranged for a fourth person to come along. His name is Nadir; he is a trusted colleague along with my friends here.”

“I appreciate your assistance and I thank you” Nina started. “I realise you are all untrusting of elves. Our actions these past years have been….” she paused, unsure how to proceed, “unusual.”

“Are you going to explain why?”

“No, but you will find out in your own time, things are not what they seem.” she said. “All I ask is silence and stealth while travelling. Don’t ask too many questions, keep me safe, and your reward will be paid promptly when we reach Gathering. I will rely on your good word to complete the lead into Alra.”

“Who is after you?” Emmet asked, “And please don’t treat us like fools”

Nina sat there, breathing slowly. Her pause was due to being uncertain how to explain.

Serine had seen the look before, a person has a terrible tale to tell, and before they spill the news there was the pause. Maybe in the hope the question will be forgotten and the topic changed. But they all knew the words needed speaking.

And speak she did “I am being hunted by misguided people. I have found myself is a position where I have become overcome by the circumstances and I want it fixed.”

“What kind of answer is that?” Vestin said far too loudly.

Emmet was not overly happy with the answer either.

Emmet asked “So you know the people who are in pursuit of you?”

“Yes”

Serine faced Nina and asked “Considering the huge dislike Elves have taken to humans travelling in Alra, I am a thinking it is not humans that are casing you.”

They all waited for Nina to reply.

“All is not what it seems.” She said calmly, “All that makes sense, everything that used to be, is being lost. Elves do not just mingle with humans Serine. The problem is that those we once thought to be upright have fallen into despair. The ones we have accepted into our home have been misjudged. This has brought me to the decision to act, rather than just accept what has become of us. The actions against the people of Tribute is a grave wrong, and there are other things happening I want to cease”

Serine could feel her pain across the room; she couldn’t help but think “What is going on with here?”

Even with the beatings being inflicted on people wandering into Alra, the isolation of trade and talk, elves were still elves. They were a good race, almost beyond reproach. Over recent years this race had appeared to have sunken into disrepute. Yet here was one elf standing up against her owns peoples actions.

“I beg you, get me to Gathering. Let me get my message to the right person, and when that happens you will know enough to decide whether you deem me right or not, whether to kill me and the recipient right there and then. But before that moment, let me keep my message so others can’t get it from you should ill come our way”

Emmet was looking unsure, but his mind kept working, “How much of a lead do you have?”

“I have about two nights lead, this night means half a day less though”

Emmet turned to Vestin and Serine, “What do you think?”

Vestin just said “We do it; I only care about the payment. I stay out of politics”

Serine answered “These things that are happening, the beatings in Alra, the isolation from elves, it is wrong. If I can do my part, I will.”

Emmet said “I will let Nadir know when he catches up, he can decide for himself” He looked back at Nina and said “I have to confess, regardless of the events leading to your decisions, it makes it hard to defend you against and unknown enemy.

We will certainly defend you against all attackers, but at some stage we will most likely need to who is chasing you”

“Emmet,” she said, “the hunters are in despair. If we are lucky, we won’t have to kill them because they can’t catch up to me.” She was looking mildly drained, pale to the face. “The sooner we move, the less likely they will find me. They expect me here, by the time they discover we are heading to Gathering, we will hopefully already be there.”

“One more thing” Emmet said, “How did an expert fighter get wounded by thugs?”

“I was mugged and got unlucky, let’s just leave it at that”

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