Amie lowered her hood. The orb stared back at her, still calling her. As if in a trance she walked forward, not caring that her boots were sinking in the muddy water below. The forest was dead to the world. The animals sleeping, the trees weeping. There was no moon tonight, bonfires would be lit to the south, but none would be as bright as the floating ball in front of her.

Blinding light from the orb had cascaded over the forest earlier when she was out hunting with Arte and Utra, flooding the trees and leaves with a white intensity. It was more like the sun and stars than a cookfire. The color paler than snow, more brilliant than a gemstone. Deer and rabbit ran in the opposite direction. Birds had flown close to the light. Swooping. Some going in and never coming out.

But Utra was worried about the light. “The work of demons,” Utra had said.

Arte had echoed his concerns. “We should get back home before the doma think we’ve been dabbling in witchcraft.”

It wasn’t possible for Amie to believe a demon or a witch could make anything so beautiful. Her dark skin shone white in the light.

Ever since she saw the great ball of light, suspended above the ground, nothing tethering it to the trees, it had called for her. “Abhai senn. Abhai senn. Abhai senn.” She had no earthly idea what the words meant, but the voice was as beautiful as the light. Melodic. Singing. So she had set out alone that night to figure out what it was. What the gods were trying to tell her.

The world went dark.

She fell back into the shallow pond, water splashing. The taste of mud filled her mouth. The orb was gone. Between the two trees was nothing. A small flicker began again and Amie smiled, but the smile was short-lived as a shadow appeared. A slender sword hung at the waist. It was as if darkness itself were stalking her. She clambered out of the pond and found a tree to bring herself to her feet, but she was yanked back by her hood.

“Onye i kai? Edu i eb?” The shadow shouted.

The orb grew brighter. A man emerged from the darkness. He wore black plate armor and his sword was ribbed. It took Amie’s eyes a moment to adjust to the light and see that the man was no human — he was an elf. His pointed ears poked out of his helm and his skin was a light gray. She had never seen an elf this near her home of Lemaium.

Stolen story; please report.

“Amie.” Arte yelled from the forest before rushing past trees. “There you are. Everyone in the village is worried. You know how dangerous it is in the night. Animals and bandits and who knows what lurks out here.” He bent over to help her off the ground and that’s when he noticed the shadow. His eyes squinted as he looked. “Who is this?” He asked Amie before turning to the elf. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s — it’s an elf — elvish attack.” Amie got to her feet as Arte grabbed his bow. “The light is a trap.”

Arte nocked an arrow and let it loose. It clanged off of the steel of the elf’s armor.

“Run.” Arte let another arrow fly before unsheathing his father’s sword. The shadowed elf didn’t move. Amie imagined his eyes full of fury at the arrows. “Leave her alone!” Arte shouted before charging at the elf.

Amie found a stump and hid in the darkness, hoping the orb would stay dim. The elf danced away from Arte who slashed with all his might. The elf kept saying words no one could understand. Arte finally got his longsword to knock the helm off the elf’s head. The elf took a deep breath and raised his ribbed sword. “Innis.” Was all the elf said as he brought the sword down on Arte’s head, splitting his body in two.

Amie wanted to scream out, call for Arte to wake, call for Lemaium to rally to her side, but she didn’t want the elf to find her. Taking a deep breath she peered around the stump. The forest looked like it was twilight. The orb flickered between the trees and the elf was nowhere to be seen.

She took off running.

Clamoring over twisted branches her feet carried her over the marshy water and damp grass. As she grew farther from the orb of light it became even more difficult to see. She tripped over her own legs and crashed into muddy water. Her face caked in mud. Leeches clung to her legs. But she could make out faint firelight in the distance. Lemaium. Only a little farther and I’ll be home. She would tell her parents about what she saw. An elvish attack. The glowing orb. The words “abhai senn” echoed in her head. She tried to ignore it by thinking of the future. Her parents would tell Duke Valles. He would raise a host and avenge Arte. Perhaps call the king if the elves put up a large defense.

A large hand grabbed her hair and yanked her back before pulling her up by the neck. “Ini tara?” The elf had a puzzled look. Amie coughed and spat into the attacker’s eyes.

The black armored elf held Amie by the throat, her eyes bulged and her legs kicked. There was nothing she could do, she knew. I hope the orb is from the gods. I hope I join them for their feast. The elf dropped a lifeless Amie into the shallow pond below.