The elf moves to take the lead toward my home and I stick my staff out to stop him. He is moving toward the long road, the merchants road. He glares down at my staff before speaking.

"How can you bear to be so close to something with iron in it, let alone touch it?" He says, his nostrils flaring. I give him a quizzical look, I've never had a problem with iron before.

"I have no grievance with iron. Also you take the wrong path, it will take double the time to go that way," I tell him, nodding toward my path that is little known to anyone who did not grow up in the area.

"Fae should not be able to handle iron. It burns them," he informs me. I give a snort, nearly a laugh.

"Well, I suppose it is a good thing I'm just a halfling then," I smugly tell him, the name tasting odd on my tongue. I break off into a light jog, the elf keeping up easily with me. I start to push my pace a little harder, again he has no trouble. I smile darkly to myself, let's really test him then, I think smartly before pushing myself into a full sprint. Even now, he can keep up with me.

I decide to let go of my thoughts and just run. I let my instincts take over, the forest flashes by around me. I can somehow sense trees and roots, stones and holes, before I see them and my body reacts, spinning and dodging without my instruction. It is a glorious feeling. I just now seem to notice the elf is not by me anymore. I dig my heels into the ground and come to a halt. My breath coming in short pants, an exhilarated laugh escapes my lips. I'd never let go like that before. My sweat stained shirt clings to my back, causing a shiver to run down my spin.

I hear muffled curses somewhere behind me before the elf leaps through the trees. A snarl fixed upon his lips. His eyes lock on me and he stumbles to a stop, growling at me for getting away from him. He may have been able to run me down in the city, but the forest is my domain. My home. I wait for him to catch his breath before I start off at a brisk walk. According to my internal map, we should be approaching the entrance to my home soon. The sun has nearly reached the horizon, I had no idea that I had run so long, it all seemed so fast.

The trees begin to thicken and the branches tangling overhead. I can tell we will reach the arching doorway that leads into my father's fields. The elf male seems like he is beginning to get agitated, his ears twitching.

"I do not like the feel of this place," he muttered to himself. I shot him a scorching glare, letting myself slip into the "string world" as I called it. I saw the string coming from the elf and I gave it a little tug, causing him to stumble and fall. I laugh at his bewildered look. He cut me a glare so sharp it could cut.

"Oh come on, lighten up a little," I say choking on laughter. He continues to glare at me but I slight smile dances in his eyes. "That auta teach you not to insult my home, my forest," I say with a smirk.

"I meant no offense, just that it seems odd here," he said. I rolled my eyes, clearly my sarcasm was wasted on the elf who takes things far too seriously. Up ahead I see a patch of light fall on the doorway of trees that marks my home. I take a deep breath and put my chin up. My father told me never to return here, I feel like I am betraying his wishes. But if my brother is in danger, I must save them.

I step through the familiar doorway, feeling a slight stir of air I dismiss as a breeze. The elf moves to step into my father's clearing and hisses, as if he was being burned.

"Something wrong?" I ask sweetly, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I-i cannot step through these trees. They seem to be warded against my kind. How is it that you can step through?" I shrug and move towards it. Ever since I had been a child, the door had never seemed wrong to me. "You must accept me into the warded area, I feel that this was put in place by your mother so she could remain hidden,"

"What makes you think I even know how?" I ask with a snort. My mother hid any of her own magic, if she even had magic.

"She probably hid it within your memory. Think hard," he says, his grey eyes set hard as stone.

I sigh and try to recall what my mother had told me. As a child I had always loved stories of magic and adventure. I remember one story my mother told was of a man who could not be with his love because of a warded area, the woman who was also deeply in love with him found a sorceress who could bring the man into her clearing, but the price was high, the girl gave up everything for him. I also remember with a sharp clarity the line my mother always said when she let the man in. The story varied from time to time, but one line was always the same. The sorceress who created the ward to protect the girl always said 'I, Eelina W'Zenera (for that was her name), accept you, Terlin Serrov (and that was his name), into my warded area. You may stay as long as you want, but when you leave, you must be accepted again.' This was the line every time.

"What is you name?" I ask softly.

He looks at me like I have grown a third head. "Why do you need that? Just remove the ward,"

I put my feet shoulder width apart and plant myself there firmly, "if my mother put these wards up, I will not remove them,"

He makes an exasperated noise in his throat before saying anything. "Balaṁ Kattisāmu,"

With a long sigh I say: "I, Vasílissa Chavás, accept you, Balaṁ Kattisāmu, into my warded area. You may stay as long as you want, but when you leave, you must be accepted again," I say and with a gasp, I feel a slight tug on my heart. The elf steps through now with ease. I open blink rapidly and try and regather my bearings. The comfortable feel of my childhood home surrounds me... then I hear it.

A scream, a blood curdling, ear piercing, scream of pure agony. It is coming from my home. I break off into a mad dash to my home, my heart breaking as I can only think the worst had happened. The cottage seems so far from me even as I sprint for all my life is worth. I burst through the front door of my home, my ability flaring to life.