Rephas throws clothes into a bag as Nura sits and stares at her hands, his movements rushed and angry. But all Nura can do is wonder when she became so numb?

"Nura."

There's blood under her fingernails, still wet. She hasn't bothered to clean them.

"Nura."

She blinks and lifts her head, finding Rephas' eyes boring into hers as he kneels before her. "Do you think they planned to kill me?"

"Nura, love, we can't think about that now. We need to go."

"Go?" she asks, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment to try and clear her vision. Tears drip down her cheek when she does this. "Go where?"

"Somewhere away from this needless hatred."

Nura smiles, a sad smile, one of lost hope and childish dreams. "To a paradise then?"

"Nura..."

"You know as well as I that it doesn't exist. The home we're looking for is a fallacy."

Rephas' head lowers and his hands grip hers, warm and reassuring, the only home that will ever accept her.

"There's no running from this," Nura says. "All I am is a burden to you."

"No," he retorts, his tone firm as he lifts his head. His gaze is determined as he looks at her, fierce and brave, all the things she isn't. "Don't you ever say that."

"But it's true. You saw that note, the one the Shadow Elves left behind. I'm the reason these people are dying. They're right."

"You're not the reason," he says, his voice strained.

"Why are you lying?" she asks and pulls her hands from his.

"I'm not lying."

Nura can't hear anymore. She pushes away from him and gets to her feet, tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm not lying," he repeats but Nura shakes her head and paces the room. "Nura, I know who sent them."

Nura freezes, her gaze upon the cold coals in the fireplace. "You know?"

"Yes, so I know it's not your fault that they're here."

"You didn't tell me," she whispers.

"I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" she demands, spinning around as a hand wraps around her throat, trying to squeeze the tears from her. "From the Shadow Elves? From the villagers? Because right now it seems like the only thing you're trying to protect me from is the truth."

"Nura. Please," he begs, his voice broken and Nura's heart rips in two to hear it.

"Why did we leave the Hold, Rephas?" She's believed for so long it was because of the rising taxes and their lack of money, but tonight is making her questions every small piece of her reality.

He shakes his head, his eyes wide, but he doesn't answer her.

Nura snaps, her emotions well in her chest, the tears spill and the world seems to spin around her. "Tell me what we're running from!" she cries, her words cracking.

His silence is her only answer. He kneels on the ground with his head bowed, defeated. She watches him as she tries to catch her breath, tries to reel herself in and not get overwhelmed as Priestess Eylvi taught her.

But as Nura turns away from him to try and calm down, she sees a distant glow out of the window. Her breath halts and she shifts towards the window to peer into the night. She blinks, her hands gripping the sill.

"Rephas," she whispers, her eyes stuck upon that faraway light. But this light doesn't come with a soothing hum, instead it's accompanied by a muffled chatter. It takes Nura a long moment to register what she sees, but when she does, she stumbles away from the window. "They're here. Rephas, they've come for me."

Rephas jumps to his feet and goes to the window as Nura rushes to the bedroom to throw clothes into a bag.

What is she doing? She doesn't care for clothes. But she does care for other things. Nura abandons the clothes and leaps to her feet. She reaches the cupboard in the kitchen, opening it and searching through the supplies within, pulling out bottles and herbs wrapped in cloth.

"Nura, let's go."

"I'm not leaving these behind," she argues, some of her elixirs too rare to let fall into the hands of strangers. Tonics and cures, poisons and elixirs she spent months perfecting, months hunting for their ingredients, digging deep into her pockets to afford them.

"Nura, we don't have time!" he yells and Nura's shoulders stiffen. Her hands stop though they continue to tremor.

The shouting has gotten closer and Nura knows they've crested the hill and are walking the path towards the cabin.

They need someone to blame, someone to make them feel less helpless. Nura is just first in line. It was the same when she was a child. The other kids needed someone to take their anger and fears out on, needed someone as an outlet for all the emotions they couldn't control. And Nura was a helpless half-Elf devoid of parents to watch over her.

"I want to talk to them," she murmurs.

"What?"

Nura spins around, her eyes wide. "I want to talk to them."

"Nura, no." Rephas attempts to stop her but she shoves past him and bursts through the door.

She sees the villagers in the distance, carrying lanterns and torches as they make their way down the slope to the cabin. The priest is amongst them, the orange light flickering across his face, illuminating the sneer that twists his features. And beside him is the woman Nura spoke to the other day, the one she helped deliver her child. Her face is a mask of rage.

Nura takes another step forward on the porch, her breath coming in rapid gasps. She doesn't get much further before she grabbed and shoved back into the cabin. Nura stumbles back, but someone else catches her. It's then she notices the man who stands before her, slamming the door shut and muffling the noise of the villagers.

Nura clings to Rephas' arms around her as her gaze settles on the hooded man, his cloak as black at the Abyss.

"Taliondil," Rephas hisses. "What are you still doing here?"

"You know why I'm here," the man replies, his voice like a silk ribbon in the breeze. Nura begins to shake as she puts the pieces together. He's the Ice Elf she saw in the apothecary, the one that was talking with Rephas at the Harvest Ceremony.

She always knew it was a bad omen for him to be here.

Rephas pushes Nura behind him, putting himself between her and the Ice Elf. "We're leaving."

"You know running won't work this time. He's found you once, he'll find you again."

"Rephas," Nura whispers, looking between the two of them. The tremble in her hands begins to spread, threatening to buckle her knees and steal her vision.

"The Shadow Elves will not stop until their work for him is done."

"You can stop them." The note of desperation in Rephas' voice has Nura inching back, trying to distance herself from the scene, pretend that she doesn't hear or see or feel or think.

"I can't go against him," the Ice Elf replies with a shake of his head, a minute movement within his hood.

"You did once. You did it for me."

"You always knew it wasn't a permanent solution, Rephas. You always knew he would come looking."

"Rephas," she speaks again, his name on her lips a broken thing. "Tell me what's going on."

He turns to her but doesn't get a chance to say a word. A window shatters and glass flies through the air, a rock tumbling to the ground with it. Nura gasps and leaps to Rephas' side again.

"Give us the Witch!" one of the villagers' hollers.

Nura's hands fist in Rephas' tunic, tears welling in her eyes. "I have to go out there, Rephas," she murmurs, her words sinking into the fabric of his shirt as she presses her face to his back, soaking up his warmth to give her even a morsel of strength.

"What?" Rephas turns to her, keeping her in his arms.

"I won't let them hurt you or our home anymore because of what I am."

"You're not a Witch, Nura."

Her gaze goes to her cupboard, filled with tonics of strange smells and even stranger effects. Her side hobby to her healing. "I've had that word tossed at me all my life, so maybe there's some truth in it." She unravels herself from Rephas' arms and looks him in the eye. "I have to at least talk to them before this escalates."

He tries to grab her but she darts to the door.

The Ice Elf stops her, a hand pressed against the wood of the door, preventing her from opening it even as she tugs at the handle. "You know what they do to those who they believe are Witches?" he asks, his voice low and dangerous.

"They try to expel their dark souls from their bodies." Her answer is received with silence. She knows what happens. She's never seen it, but she knows. Nura shoves the Ice Elf's hand from the door and pulls it open without glancing back.

The pounding of horse's hooves reaches her before the sight does. A group of riders draws the villagers' attention away from Nura as they ride towards the cabin.

"Disperse!" one of them shouts, his voice booming across the gathered villagers. "Disperse and return to your homes!"

No one moves and Nura's breath catches in her throat.

Swords are drawn by the riders, glinting in the light of the moon.

"By order of the High Council!"

The villagers scatter. Their torches are dropped, their fury is left behind, and they scamper back to the village as quickly as they had come. The riders follow them to the hill, making certain none linger.

The man who spoke jumps down from his horse in a clatter of steel armour and a swish of his crimson cloak. The cloak is lined with deep purple; the two colours of Tiore. Strength and justice. There is nothing strong and just about what the Human lands have been reduced to.

"Nura Wolfire?" the man asks, his voice deep and careful as he walks towards her.

Nura can barely manage a nod.

"We received word of the disturbance in this village. We're here to help."

Nura wraps her arms around herself and nearly weeps in relief. Never has she been so glad to see soldiers.

"So quickly?" Rephas asks as he stands beside her, his dark gaze narrowed at the man who stands below them.

"We were in the area," the soldier replies.

"In the area," Rephas repeats, a muscle in his jaw fluttering.

The soldier straightens and removes his helmet, revealing a shaved head and dark brown skin glistening with sweat. "You both served in the army, I will be glad to help you in any way I can as a thank you for your service. Your father's too, ma'am."

"Thank you," Nura says, her gaze moving to the other soldiers that ride back to the cabin now that the villagers have gone.

"We'll stay nearby the whole night," he reassures her. "Give you time to gather your things and consider moving when morning comes."

Nura thanks him again even as the words clang around in her head. Move. Run away yet again.

Nura closes her eyes, afraid once again of what the future holds.